monsters of men
Book 94/100 - Monsters of Men by Patrick Ness
Fantastic end to a fantastic series. I just loved this book.
Everything in this book was handled really well. It made for a fast, dizzying, intense read. It was full of action and adventure, all underlined by some authentic character development and touching relationships. It's so well crafted and well written so that even things that would normally annoy me seemed perfect for the book.
The introduction of a new pov - the Spackle 1017 from the previous book - added a new dimension that added so much depth to the story and the world.
The plotting was really fast-paced and full of twists and turns and tragedy. It was almost exhausting at times and I was turning the pages the whole time excited to see what would happen next. I think by doing this I may have missed some of the more subtle aspects of the characterisation and I'm sure I'll appreciate this more in a re-read. Mayor Prentiss, in particular, was interesting but hard to fathom out. And Miss Coyle.
As I write this, I'm struggling to remember the specifics of the plot. But it had that awesome quality where even when the things that were happening were sad and heartbreaking, it always felt right. The ending, in particular, was so fitting for the characters.
I still loved Viola and Todd. I really admire how Ness wrote both their povs and also their journey. No matter how dark their worlds became, I still rooted for them as individuals and as a couple. I knew, though, that if one died the other would be ok. They never stopped being sympathetic.
That's why, in the inevitable comparison to the hunger games, this series wins out. I stopped sympathising with Katniss somewhere in book two. I only ever pitied Peeta and hardly connected with Gale at all. I constantly remained sympathetic to Viola and Todd and therefore their journey was a lot more poignant to me.
I also have to commend how Ness made me feel for the horses (and the dog in book one) since I'm not an animal person and I never cared for fictional ones so strongly before.
I also really liked the 'one in particular' thing. And the implication that it was acceptable if they were the same sex.
Basically, I'm finding it hard to put into words how much love and admiration I have for this series. I'm so so glad I read it and I really wish more people would try it too! It's easy to give it 10/10 and I'm feeling like the next book I start just won't be as enjoyable.
Fantastic end to a fantastic series. I just loved this book.
Everything in this book was handled really well. It made for a fast, dizzying, intense read. It was full of action and adventure, all underlined by some authentic character development and touching relationships. It's so well crafted and well written so that even things that would normally annoy me seemed perfect for the book.
The introduction of a new pov - the Spackle 1017 from the previous book - added a new dimension that added so much depth to the story and the world.
The plotting was really fast-paced and full of twists and turns and tragedy. It was almost exhausting at times and I was turning the pages the whole time excited to see what would happen next. I think by doing this I may have missed some of the more subtle aspects of the characterisation and I'm sure I'll appreciate this more in a re-read. Mayor Prentiss, in particular, was interesting but hard to fathom out. And Miss Coyle.
As I write this, I'm struggling to remember the specifics of the plot. But it had that awesome quality where even when the things that were happening were sad and heartbreaking, it always felt right. The ending, in particular, was so fitting for the characters.
I still loved Viola and Todd. I really admire how Ness wrote both their povs and also their journey. No matter how dark their worlds became, I still rooted for them as individuals and as a couple. I knew, though, that if one died the other would be ok. They never stopped being sympathetic.
That's why, in the inevitable comparison to the hunger games, this series wins out. I stopped sympathising with Katniss somewhere in book two. I only ever pitied Peeta and hardly connected with Gale at all. I constantly remained sympathetic to Viola and Todd and therefore their journey was a lot more poignant to me.
I also have to commend how Ness made me feel for the horses (and the dog in book one) since I'm not an animal person and I never cared for fictional ones so strongly before.
I also really liked the 'one in particular' thing. And the implication that it was acceptable if they were the same sex.
Basically, I'm finding it hard to put into words how much love and admiration I have for this series. I'm so so glad I read it and I really wish more people would try it too! It's easy to give it 10/10 and I'm feeling like the next book I start just won't be as enjoyable.