Reviews Week 26

 Reviews Week 26

June 27th- July 3rd

Book 70: Les Misérables

by Victor Hugo

Read June 23rd- 30th

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I love the musical version of Les Misérables and have wanted to read this novel for a long time. Now, I can say that I have, and it was one of the most heartbreaking and emotional books I have ever read. Also, the longest by far. 

Going into this book, I knew the basic story because of the musical. It's a story following the character Jean Valjean throughout a good portion of his life. He is an escaped convict, just trying to make something out of his life and live it. All because he stole a loaf of bread to help feed his sister and her children. It follows him and his plight as he keeps getting under the threat of getting arrested again. We also follow the young mother Fantine, who will do anything to give her daughter a life that is better than her own and the promise that Jean Valjean makes to this poor woman. 

This book was challenging, not because of the length or wording, but because of the topic and tone. It's haunting and just depressing to read. We see how the poor lived in the early 19th century in Paris, and it was just a terrible situation. Hugo does not stray away from the hard topics at all, and he makes you feel these people's every pain and misery in their lives. It's hard to read at times, especially the scenes with Fantine. She's such a tragic character. 

The musical is my favorite musical of all time, and I went into this book with very high expectations because of that. It did not disappoint in the slightest. This has become a classic story for a reason. I will say though, that there were a couple times throughout the book that Hugo went into a topic, and it lost my interest a bit. So that affected my enjoyment of the book a bit but not that much.

It's a remarkable book that makes you feel so much for these characters that you come across.  

I'm going to end the review with lyrics from my favorite song from the musical that I could not help but sing while reading along with the book. 

"Do you hear the people sing?

Singing the song of angry men?

It is the music of the people

Who will not be slaves again!

When the beating of your heart

Echoes the beating of the drums

There is a life about to start

When tomorrow comes!"

Book 71: The Land of Stories: The Wishing Spell

by Chris Colfer

Read July 3rd

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This is my eleventh time reading this book.

What really drew me to this series at the beginning, was how Chris expanded on the fairy tales. I loved the Prologue of the book and just wanted to read more and more. The characters are what kept me reading. I enjoyed the dynamic between each of them Now, ten years later I can honestly say that I adore falling back into this book every single time. This is a series that I reread every year. It is my absolute favorite that I adore with all my heart. 

Book 72: Lark and the Wild Hunt

by Jennifer Adam 

Read July 2nd- 3rd

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I have been a big fan of fae stories since I read my first one in high school, especially those that deal with different fae for each season. When I read the description for this book, it drew me in, and I knew that I had to read it.

Lark's adventure in this story takes its time, which I enjoyed thoroughly. The reader gets to know Lark, her family, and her village throughout the story. We learn about their customs and how they were created with the fae. This was through great descriptions, the interactions of the town, and also just their way of speaking. I loved the lines like "rust and ruin" that they would say. It made the world feel more grounded. Fantasy worlds with their own way of talking and world concepts are always my favorites. We also get to know the fae world as a whole, which was one of this novel's best parts. I enjoyed the aspects of that, but I will not spoil that here.

The story is from Lark's perspective, and she was the perfect protagonist for this story. I am glad middle-grade readers will get to read a story from such a strong female character like Lark. She works hard to save her siblings throughout the story and help her family. Also, she's not perfect and makes mistakes, which I'm always glad to see. Her brother's line "one chance" was beautiful and a great message for young and older readers.

The Wild Hunt and the celebrations at the start of the different seasons were other aspects of the book that stood out. The descriptions in these parts were standouts in the book. I loved the market scene when Lark finally got to go for the first time. The thrill of that for her and how wild it all was because of everything that has changed because of what is happening with the faes and their world. I like how we got to see the end of the wild hunt at the beginning of the book and how that was a catalyst for the rest of the plot. Then, when we finally see another one, we have the context of how they are supposed to go and also the worry of what will happen with it.

Overall, I believe this was a great fantasy book with a strong female protagonist, a rich fantasy world that draws you in, and a story that has you feeling for the characters. Great for younger and older readers alike.

*Thank you to the publisher and Netgalley for my ARC of this book. All opinions are my own.*