THOUGHTS: The Well Of Ascension

The Well of Ascension by Brandon Sanderson 

*Spoilers for Mistborn and The Well Of Ascension* 

A great sequel to Mistborn indeed! This book captured a kingdom that is now a mess after their tyrannical God-figure was destroyed in the events of Mistborn. Sanderson absolutely nailed it. 

TWOA is definitely a slower paced book, especially in the beginning. This isn't a bad thing, Sanderson captured the sort of "reeling" ambience of a land that is a giant mess. 

There is a far larger focus on politics and military strategies, which furthers the complexities of this storyline. While Elend and the rest of the crew seeks to quell the human forces that are upon Luthadel, Vin feels a far darker force than mere human armies. 

I LOVED how Sanderson created this slowly growing feeling of dread in the reader. How one can sort of tell that some evil is stirring, yet everyone else is focused on human affairs and we don't really know what this evil force is. The suspenseful ambience Sanderson creates is just superb. Sometimes, even I forgot about the foreboding evil that existed because I was caught up in the war, Elend's politics, Tindwyl's lessons, Ore-Seur's origins, and many other factors. Not to mention Sazeed's tablet of information and of course, his meticulous and calculating research always made for extremely interesting chapters. 

I really loved this book. The ending was like an explosion of madness, and the slower paced bulk of the book that contained a lot of important information simply enchanted ones experience of the crazy action that occurs during the Siege of Luthadel. 

I did suspect the twist of OreSeur and TenSoon, but it shocked nonetheless? I loved the dynamic of Vin and OreSeur/TenSoon. Just the frankness the of Kandra coupled with Vin's attitude made for a lot of great chapters. I cannot wait to finish this trilogy.

THOUGHTS: Ms. Marvel

I

Ms. Marvel, Volume 1: No Normal by G. Willow Wilson and Adrian Alphona 

Marvel Comics presents the new Ms. Marvel, the groundbreaking heroine that has become an international sensation! Kamala Khan is an ordinary girl from Jersey City — until she's suddenly empowered with extraordinary gifts. But who truly is the new Ms. Marvel? Teenager? Muslim? Inhuman? Find out as she takes the Marvel Universe by storm! When Kamala discovers the dangers of her newfound powers, she unlocks a secret behind them, as well. Is Kamala ready to wield these immense new gifts? Or will the weight of the legacy before her be too much to bear? Kamala has no idea, either. But she's comin' for you, New York! It's history in the making. 

Ms. Marvel was a fantastic comic!

I am somewhat of a pessimist in terms of superhero comics as I think the genre is kind of tired and the majority of superhero comics have really dry, repetitive story arches. However, stuff like Ms. Marvel comes around every so often to revitalize the genre. 

The premise is so refreshing! As the lady at the bookstore described, "basically just if Malala Yousiefi was a superhero." 

I loved the art just in terms of the way Alphona captured faces. He draws the exaggerated and derpy face so well. It's quirky and adds a nice touch to the comic. 

The storyline itself was, admittedly, fairly predictable and relatively dry. However, it was super relatable and the little bits of pop culture scattered throughout kept me entertained. This being said, it is just the first bind up, it's only the first 6 issues. Since it's just an origin story esstentially, it's not that fair to judge it soley on plot. I hope in future volumes the story becomes better! 

REVIEW: Neil Patrick Harris: Choose Your Own Autobiography

Neil Patrick Harris: Choose Your Own Autobiography by Neil Patrick Harris

Genres: Memoir, Autobiography

Published: October 2014 by Crown Archetype and Harper Audio

Pages: 304

Format: Hardcover and Audiobook

Rating: 10/10

Description: Tired of memoirs that only tell you what really happened? Sick of deeply personal accounts written in the first person? Seeking an exciting, interactive read that puts the “u” back in “aUtobiography”? Then look no further than Neil Patrick Harris: Choose Your Own Autobiography! You will decide whether to try out for Doogie Howser, M.D. You will decide whether to spend years struggling with your sexuality. You will decide what kind of caviar you want to eat on board Elton John’s yacht. Choose correctly and you’ll find fame, fortune, and true love. Choose incorrectly and you’ll find misery, heartbreak, and a hideous death by piranhas. All this, plus magic tricks, cocktail recipes, embarrassing pictures from your time as a child actor, and even a closing song. Yes, if you buy one book this year, congratulations on being above the American average, but make that book Neil Patrick Harris: Choose Your Own Autobiography!

So far, NPH has definitely been my favorite audio book of the year. It was a grand slam. He crafted his memoir with the bravado and artistry and one can only expect from such a man. He provided the reader with outlandish adventures in which you, the reader, is Neil Patrick Harris and must decide your biggest life decisions. Being an audio book (and not being able to flip back and forth between pages like a traditional Choose-Your-Own-Adventure book), it was very well structured. It took us from NPH's days a little toddlin' magician, to his days on Doogie, to his Broadway debut, and beyond! It was a wonderful, amazing trip.         

He provided great and kind of creepily awesome magic tricks (yes. He performs magic through the pages, using you as a puppet. It was magnificent). 

I especially loved the bits where NPH would discuss little details about his projects as an actor or performer. Sometimes, he will perform a little diddy which is always a pleasant surprise. When he started doing the tongue twister bit from “Dr. Horrible”, I almost cried. Other bits he performed included excerpts from his legendary Tony performances. 

I'm not sure how, but NPH has discovered a way to share his experiences chilling with Elton John, being a super gorgeous and charming heart throb, and winning a Tony, without sounding like an utter tool. He didn't come off as condescending or cocky or anything. He is such a stand-up guy and I love him and I loved his memoir. The best memoir I've listened to so far. Who DOESN'T loved Neil Patrick Harris? Real talk.

Also, a week after I listened to this book, I had a dream that I was Neil Patrick Harris dressed up in full drag as Hedwig. So, beware! *spooky music starts*

REVIEW: Blackout

Blackout by Chris Myers
Genres: New Adult, Romance, Thriller/Mystery, Contemporary
Published: April 2015 by Chris Myers
Pages: 400
Format: Kindle Edition
Rating: 5.5/10
Description:  No restraining order will stop Dare from protecting Teal. The blackouts started happening when Teal was eight. There are long periods of her youth she doesn't remember. She has woken up in strange places, feeling disoriented and unaware of how long she's been out. After two years abroad attending a private school and sessions with a top-notch psychiatrist, she's been deemed cured. The blackouts have ceased, or so Teal thought, until she wakes up in a ditch back home in North Carolina. Dare, the man pulling her broken body from the wreckage, has a restraining order against him. He’s no longer the clean-cut boy she went frog gigging with but road-hardened. His lean, muscular arms, riddled with tats, drag her out of the SUV. She should fear him, but instead, his touch sparks memories that tell her she once worshiped him with all her heart.

Blackout is a physiological thriller, a romance, a mystery book all rolled into a New Adult format. It was a very interesting book that had a compelling premise. There is a great romance and a lot of cool physiological aspects. There is a fantastic, dark mystery that we get to explore, limited by our protagonist's memory loss. However, I found that a lot of potential was lost with the book as I found a couple problems with it.

Let's start with the good. The ambiance was executed very well. The unease and disquiet of an unfinished mystery in this town is definitely exemplified through the writing. The murder story that we only receive bits and pieces of throughout the book keep the story interesting and thrilling. It was much like a "whodunit." The narrative was engaging. The wrap-up in the end was very well done, bringing all the pieces and clues together to form a shocking and satisfying conclusion. The romance was steamy and passionate, and I did enjoy the relationship of Dare and Teal. I always looked forward to those scenes.

Some of the problems I found with the book was mostly to do with the characters. Most, if not all, of the characters were very flat and static, most of the supporting characters were just flat out stereotypes. Our protagonist, Teal, is a very typical "girl-next-door-turned-hot" character. I was annoyed with her at times by her ignorance to how attractive she is. Literally, every man she sees hits on her and she get's embarrassed and blushy every time. Her character was not very believable at all. Also, many of her decisions were pretty dumb. (*Spoilers: Her arm is broken and she decides to drive a car! She found out a boy got slaughtered and she goes to a distanced swamp with only one other person as protection! She knows she has a stalker and she walks home alone in the dark!)
There were a lot of potential side story lines that I felt could have made the story much richer.

I found that the book was very heavily focused on physical appearance, which did take away a lot from the story itself. Teal is beautiful, Dare is beautiful, Graham is beautiful, Kami is beautiful, everyone is beautiful and attractive, and there would be pages and pages going on about how pretty every character is. This did take away from actual character building for me. The characters turned into nothing more than there appearance. The Tuckers were nothing more than the hot family. There are also a lot of cat calls and just random compliments that are thrown at Teal which seem misplaced and odd. It just felt weird for me and that did distract me from the story.

Overall, Blackout is a strong book in terms of the setting, the ambiance, and the story line, but weak in terms of character building. There was a great accompanying romance, however the dialogue and personas in the book fell flat for me. There is a lack of deep or believable characters. Blackout is recommended to those who wish to read a New Adult with some suspenseful elements.

*I received this book for free from the publisher in exchange for an honest review. This in no way affected my opinion of the book, or the content of my review.*

REVIEW: Dealing With Devils

Dealing With Devils by Pembroke Sinclair

Genres: Paranormal Fantasy, YA, Romance
Published: January 2015 by Booktrope
Pages: 210
Format: E-Book, Paperback
Rating: 8/10 
Description: Dating a demon has its advantages, like helping deliver souls to Hell. Wait...what Katie’s world has been turned upside down. She's fallen for Josh—despite the fact that he’s a demon from Hell. Wes is finally out of her system and her life. Convinced she can change Josh, she sets out to make him a better person, only to find out things aren’t as simple as she’d originally thought. For one thing, Josh has Katie help him deliver souls to Hell, and she kind of likes it. And to top it off, other more powerful demons are battling for her soul, and revelations from the past could change the course of her life forever.

Dealing With Devils is the sequel to The Appeal Of Evil by Pembroke Sinclair, and this follow-up was so great. There will spoilers for the first book! 

This sequel was really unique. Usually when we have a protagonist caught up in a battle between good and evil, she usually chooses good. Katie chooses evil- I think that's really refreshing! In this sequel, we see Katie and the wonderful Josh go about their duties from Hell. We get to meet Lucifer, which was really cool. I hope that we get more Lucifer because I found that even though those scenes were super cool, they were fairly underwhelming. 

There are a lot of really cool discoveries and twists that we make the plot much richer. There is a lot of potential with one of the discoveries! There are definitely lots of elements that make the plot and storyline more exciting and richer than the first book. There is some backstory and legends that are told by Lucifer which was awesome. 

 **(Spoiler: it's that fact that Katie is a reincarnation of Lilith. That's so cool! I can't wait to see her explore the powers, and the pros and cons of being Lilith).** 

Since Wes wasn't in the book that much, and since Katie has made her decision very blatant, there was no love triangle nonsense! Which again, is just very refreshing. I also don't really like Wes so maybe that's why I liked this book that much more. Braden's character underwent a lot of changes for me. He went from just some annoying side character to someone who- what?- is kind of cooler than Josh? The hell hierarchy stuff is also pretty cool.

Overall, Dealing With Devils, was a satisfying sequel with a lot more discoveries and added elements that made the plot much richer than the first book. If the liked the first book, this one will not disappoint!

*I received this book for free from the publisher in exchange for an honest review. This in no way affected my opinion of the book, or the content of my review.*

REVIEW: Spent Part 1

Spent - Part 1 by Elise Holland
Genres: New Adult Romance,
Published: March 2015
Pages: 110
Format: Kindle Edition
Rating: 7.5/10
Description: Luke Richards... the first time I laid eyes on him he was swinging punches at my boyfriend in the MMA ring. The way his glistening muscles writhed and flexed aroused me in placed I never knew existed. A week after I break up with my boyfriend, Luke strolls into my biology class at my college, as if by some divine intervention. He is immediately taken by me, but I can sense he has a dark past, one that rivals even my childhood. The more I probe, the more agitated he gets. As I spend more time with him, my own repressed memories start resurfacing. Will he finally be the one to release me from my painful past? Or will his demons catch up to him and bring us both down?SPENT - Part 1 is the beginning of an exciting New Adult, MMA Series from author Elise Holland.

Spent was a such a great new adult romance book! It was a super fast read with a lot of characterization and a super hot romance. I was left needing WAY more! WHERE IS PART TWO?

Tasha was an okay protagonist. She was relateable and her actions are very believable. However, she is definitely the most boring character in comparison to the other fantastic characters this book has. Luke was so hot and gentle and sweet and funny and he was a perfect choice for a love interest. Cameron was so sassy and clever and definitely brought some hilarious comic relief. I love the unique relationship with this English teacher and a young 21 year old Tasha. It's fairly rare and I liked that sort of big sister dynamic between them. I would like to see more of them together! The writing was good. It was humorous when it needed to be, I loved the little pop culture references with FMA, and all of the great innuendos. Spent reads very easily and smoothly. The descriptions are really and vivid, whether did be a boxing match, a saucy scene, or even Twizzlers. It was fantastic.

The story itself was simple but interesting enough. I like the University setting and all the scenes with the fighting matches.

The romance was so steamy and great. I love the contrast between Luke's love scenes and Derricks. I love how one can definitely see how conditioned Tasha is to being abused and neglected and now happy she is to have Luke. I need more please!

*I received this book for free from the publisher in exchange for an honest review. This in no way affected my opinion of the book, or the content of my review.*

REVIEW: Orange Is The New Black

Orange Is The New Black by Piper Kerman
Genres: Memoir, Adult, Non-Fiction, Crime
Published: April 6 2010 by Spiegel & Grau
Pages: 298
Format: Audiobook/Hardback
Rating: 8/10
Description: With a career, a boyfriend, and a loving family, Piper Kerman barely resembles the reckless young woman who delivered a suitcase of drug money ten years before. But that past has caught up with her. Convicted and sentenced to fifteen months at the infamous federal correctional facility in Danbury, Connecticut, the well-heeled Smith College alumna is now inmate #11187–424 — one of the millions of people who disappear “down the rabbit hole” of the American penal system. From her first strip search to her final release, Kerman learns to navigate this strange world with its strictly enforced codes of behavior and arbitrary rules. She meets women from all walks of life, who surprise her with small tokens of generosity, hard words of wisdom, and simple acts of acceptance. Heartbreaking, hilarious, and at times enraging, Kerman’s story offers a rare look into the lives of women in prison—why it is we lock so many away and what happens to them when they’re there.

Orange Is The New Black is definitely one of my favorite shows, so it was simply common sense for me to pick up the book that tells the story of the real origins behind the show. I ended up listening to the audio book, which unfortunately, wasn't narrated by Piper Kerman or Piper Chapman, however the narrator. Cassandra Campbell, did do an excellent job portraying Piper Kerman. 

My main problem going into the book was that I expected it to be exactly like the show. For the first half of this audiobook, I spent most of the time comparing and contrasting the show versus the book. This definitely did not enhance my experience by any stretch of the imagination. The names and characters of the book versus the show are completely different and so is the bulk of the story line. Larry isn't a terrible annoyance in the book, for one. However, after letting go of the show, the book did get better for me. 

Prison, for many readers, is probably a strange and dark subject that one doesn't really know too much about. I was enlightened with facts and procedures that the American system undergoes. It was very fascinating. It was so intriguing to take an inside look at the lives of prisoners and to hear their stories and their everyday routines. However, this "routine" is probably the greatest downfall of the book. Don't get me wrong, this book was a wonderful account of Kerman's experiences and her thoughts and ideas about life and the prison system was amazing. However, there was a large portion of this memoir that was just a same things, over and over. Kerman makes it clear that prison is pretty much just routine: shower, food, eat, visits, contraband, repeat. While I did not expect an account of prison to be non-stop action, there were some unnecessary portions that simply felt redundant. The characters were an aspect that was a high point in the novel. Many of the characters in this book were uproariously hilarious people and I love hearing about them. 

Kerman is an upfront and honest person. She knows that she was tremendously privileged to be a white, blonde, attractive woman, and thus the consequences of her actions were, to some degree, lessened. She knows that she is extremely blessed to come from a wealthy family so that her stay at prison could be somewhat accommodated in terms of money, and she has a very supportive following of friends and family. She is very vocal and honest about these aspects of her life. She admits that much of her life was extremely easy. She may not be the most sympathetic protagonist, but she is an honest one and that is why I liked her voice so much. I love how she became known as the book girl, who had copious amounts of books sent for her, and how she tried to recommend books to other prisoners. I loved how she did use her wealth for good; helping new prisoners and getting gifts for her closer friends. I loved how she genuinely did form friendships in this unlikely setting. 

Orange is the New Black is an eye-opening memoir about the incarnation system in the US, told from the personal perspective of an intelligent woman. It definitely gives the reader an idea of what life is behind bars in America. I would say that it is lackluster compared to the show, but the show is just a crazy ride that is (a little bit) far removed from reality. I do prefer the show, but I don't think that it is far to compare them to one another. It was a great audiobook experience, and I would definitely reccomend it fans of the show, or for anyone who is interested in any of the aforementioned topics.

REVIEW: The Appeal of Evil

The Appeal of Evil by Pembroke Sinclair

Genres: Paranormal Fantasy, YA, Romance
Published: January 2014 by Booktrope Editions
Pages: 210
Format: E-Book, Paperback
Rating: 6/10 
Description: Katie, a senior in high school, is torn between loving the "good" guy, her childhood friend Wes who makes promises he doesn't keep and abandons her when she needs him the most, and the "bad" guy, the new kid at school Josh who is also a real demon from Hell. Katie wants someone who pays attention to her and puts her first, but what is she willing to give up to find him?

The Appeal of Evil is a great, fast-paced paranormal romance! It reads super easily. Although Evil doesn't have too much action, there was just enough of character building to keep it interesting.

I felt like there was too much of an instant romance, especially in the beginning. The beginning is, in my opinion, the weakest part of the book. It was too romance-heavy, too quickly. There was a lot of telling instead of showing in the beginning part, which I understand because there were a lot of introductions made, but I felt like it was too expository in that sense. I also found faults in how the author tried to portray Wes. I didn't feel any real emotion or feelings of affection from him. The only times I felt like Wes actually cared about Katie was when Katie would state, "I know he cares for me," or the like. I know this is to keep his stoic and the remain true to his duties as a Praesul, but his character simply fell flat for me. 

I am pretty much a huge fan of the the "bad-boy" trope, so of course I was rooting for Josh the whole time. I guess I did sort of got what I wanted in the end, but I really hope that Josh goes through more character development in future installments as I love his character. Also, for some reason I envisioned him with a British accent the whole time? Odd, however, I did enjoy his character all the more.

The world-building was mediocre. It was super interesting, especially the brief adventure into Hell, however, for the most part, there was little-to-no world building. This is forgivable because it is a romance and an urban fantasy but I really do hope we get to explore more into the world of Praesul and Demons in future books.

Overall, it wasn't a perfect read at all, but it is a quick, paranormal fantasy that was simply a fun ride! There is a bit of action and some romantic intrigue to keep the story super interesting. Definietly recommended for those looking for a quick, fun read!

Sweet Evil by Wendy Higgins because of the urban fantasy setting and the romance. Also, there is a bad-boy demon in which our protagonist falls for (and Kaiden has a British accent)!

*I received this book for free from the publisher in exchange for an honest review. This in no way affected my opinion of the book, or the content of my review.*

REVIEW: Thirteen Reasons Why

02/05	marked as:	currently-reading
02/07	page 60		19.0%	"I really don't enjoy Hannah. I'm intrigued, but I also just very much despise this protagonist."
02/10	page 120		39.0%	"Really annoyed by Hannah. Her voice is very whiny her problems are very overly dramatized."
02/10	page 200		65.0%	"Still annoyed. This protagonists voice is so hard to like!"
02/14	marked as:	read

Thirteen Reasons Why is easily, and unfortunately my least-favorite book of the year so far. 

I spend the majority of the novel being just very annoyed at the girl protagonist. I felt like the whole novel was very immature, which it should not have been since it deals with a very serious and important subject matter. Our girl protagonist comes off as very whiny and over-dramatic. I felt annoyed instead of sympathic. 

The characters were most definitely the weakest part of this book when they should have been the strongest part. 

I understand that her problems are meant to be a "build up" but honestly? A boy said you had a nice butt? A girl got mad at you for liking another boy? There were literally chapters focusing on the aforementioned topics. It was all very teeny-boppy. 

Perhaps if I read this when I was younger I would enjoy it more. Or maybe I should not have been expecting a deep, serious book. I was extremely let down and annoyed at this read. Ugh.

REVIEW: I'll Give You the Sun

I'll Give You The Sun by Jandy Nelson 

Genres: YA, Contemporary, Romance

Published: September 2014 by Dial Books

Pages: 371

Format: Hardcover

Rating: 10/10

Description: Jude and her twin brother, Noah, are incredibly close. At thirteen, isolated Noah draws constantly and is falling in love with the charismatic boy next door, while daredevil Jude cliff-dives and wears red-red lipstick and does the talking for both of them. But three years later, Jude and Noah are barely speaking. Something has happened to wreck the twins in different and dramatic ways . . . until Jude meets a cocky, broken, beautiful boy, as well as someone else—an even more unpredictable new force in her life. The early years are Noah's story to tell. The later years are Jude's. What the twins don't realize is that they each have only half the story, and if they could just find their way back to one another, they’d have a chance to remake their world.

This radiant novel from the acclaimed, award-winning author of The Sky Is Everywhere will leave you breathless and teary and laughing—often all at once

This gorgeous, beautiful, haunting, hilarious, poignant, vibrant, and touching (and other adjectives that I left out) is the first book to make me honestly and genuinely laugh out loud and sob loudly. This is not just a book; it is art. 

I'll Give You The Sun is this brilliantly woven and carefully crafted story of family, tragedy, love, and loss. That may have sounded cheesy and clique, but I don't think I can conjure up the right words to describe this book. It is both depressing, yet imaginative and uplifting. It captures the very fibers of humanity and passion in a clear-eyed and vibrant manner. This is the perfect contemporary book. It is perfect both for young adult readers, and beyond. It has the honesty and sincerity of a child and the sober reality of grown-up problems. 

Nelson also adds a lot of tidbits of knowledge: 

“Or maybe a person is just made up of a lot of people,” I say. “Maybe we’re accumulating these new selves all the time.” Hauling them in as we make choices, good and bad, as we screw up, step up, lose our minds, find our minds, fall apart, fall in love, as we grieve, grow, retreat from the world, dive into the world, as we make things, as we break things.” 

Jandy Nelson's prose is a gift; it is whimsical and and vivid, and mournful and wistful, all at the right times. The characters all had such distinct voices. They all felt real and authentic. 

This book deals with a lot of sensitive and prevalent issues with finesse. The love that these characters have and the passion they have for each other, whether it be romantic or family, felt so strong and so real. When the puzzles and pieces came together, I felt like cheering loudly, but instead just sort of smiled through my tears. 

This part made me gasp and squeal and put the book down:

“In a flash, we're through the door, across the street and into the woods, running for no reason and laughing for no reason and totally out of breath and out of our minds when Brian catches me by my shirt, whips me around, and with one strong hand flat against my chest, he pushes me against a tree and kisses me so hard I go blind.” 

And my personal favorite quote:

"I'm so happy I'm not a horse!"

I'll Give You The Sun is honestly a masterpiece. I do not cry during books. I didn't shed a tear reading Fault In Our Stars or Perks Of Being a Wallflower or The Book Thief or any other wonderfully depressing novel. However, I cried out of happiness and sadness and relief throughout this book. I honestly surprised myself. It was just so genuine and wonderful. Please, do yourself a favor and read it. 

Next To Normal, because both are absolute pieces of art that showcase family drama and other prevalent issues in the present day. Both capture emotion and love and rage and the very fragile state of a humans mind in a time of tragedy in such a captivating manner. Both are wonderful. If you haven't seen or heard NTN, please do! I had the soundtrack in my brain throughout reading I'll Give You the Sun which simply depressed me further. Wonderful.

GOOD-READS UPDATES:

03/08	marked as:	currently-reading
03/09	page 200		53.0%	"Prose is so vibrant and the characters are so distinct."
03/10			100.0%	"I AM IN TEARS. I never cry whilst reading books. Like ever. This is such a beautiful story. I am going to jump off a cliff. I dO NOT EVEN KNOW! I even went into this book thinking I would be disappointed because of all the hype but IT BLEW ME OUT OF THE FREAKING WATER. JUST family drama and tragedy and love and relationships and the very essence of passion and humanity were captured SO BEAUTIFULLY."

Quick REVIEW: The Goldfinch

Note: I have decided to start making "Quick Reviews" here on ChaiBooks. These reviews will be of books that I have chosen to read just for pleasure and I do not wish to make a big, formal review for them! Formal reviews will be saved for ARCs, galleys, or whichever other book I have a lot to talk about. Quick Reviews will include my status updates that I put on GoodReads!

The Goldfinch by Donna Tartt

GoodReads Updates: 

10/26	marked as:	to-read
01/02	marked as:	currently-reading
01/02	page 375		48.0%
01/08	page 550		71.0%	"I'm slowly getting through this massive book! Almost there."
01/24	page 600		80.0%	"I NEED TO FINISH THIS ITS BEEN OVER A MONTH THIS IS RIDICULOUS"

This book took it almost two months to complete which is very odd for me, as I am a fairly fast reader. It took me quite a long time not because the book was challenging to read. It was because it was such a intricately-woven story that just takes a while to digest. It's a massive book, but I was never confused or lost. I just found that it took me a longer time to read.
The actual novel was fantastic. The prose was a delight to read, the story-line was slow (which isn't a bad thing at all)! One can explore and get a better feel the inner workings of Theo's mind. It get's very action-packed at the end while still maintaining its very real prose. A great adult fiction read!