Boxonow

Pages: 298 Released: April 21, 2015 Publisher: Lake Union Received: Library Rating: 3.5 out of 5 stars Goodreads Sometimes when I can't decide what to read next I pick a handful of books and do the "first chapter" test where I read the first chapter of each book and see which one hooks me. Isabella won out. I'm not even sure why, though it's possible the super short chapters helped (it's always easier for me to read a book with short chapters). I was also in the mood to read something historical, and I haven't read too many books yet on Edward II and Isabella so I was curious to learn more about them and their era of history. I say I'm not even sure why because objectively this book is...not great. The writing style is strange and somewhat off-putting. It reads like an awkward translation with strange sentences and stilted writing. The characters are also thinly drawn and hard to connect with as a result. Most are barely there and interchangeable and

Pages: 400 Released: August 7, 2018 Publisher: Disney Received: Finished copy from publisher Rating: 3.5 out of 5 stars Goodreads These books are wacky. I've now read three of these Disney Villain origin stories ( Ursula , The Queen from Snow White) and I'm noticing a pretty consistent pattern. Basically: Intriguing plot. I get hooked by these stories. I want to know what happens next. I wouldn't say they're well-plotted stories, since they're actually pretty ridiculous. But I can't help enjoying them . So-so writing. The writing is pretty stilted. The dialogue is sometimes painful. I feel like I'm reading fan fiction. Sympathetic villain. The origin stories turn the villains into saccharine sweet victims of horrible circumstances. It's a little much , but it's also pretty effective. I liked Gothel, I wanted her to win, and my heart broke for her every time her situation got worse and worse. Side characters. There's usually at least one side char