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JulietteReadsALot

JulietteReadsALot

Joined October 2016

Book lover in San Antonio, TX
review
JulietteReadsALot
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Pickpick

Enjoyable middle school read about Marion, a young girl chosen to serve Madame de Montespan, Louis XIV's favorite.
Marion, daughter of a gardener, is a gifted nose. Her talent for perfume is going to place her in the middle of an intrigue to kill the queen...

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JulietteReadsALot
Gold of Our Fathers | Kwei Quartey
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Pickpick

Another interesting mystery led by now Chief inspector Darko Dawson.
It's nice to see the evolution of the different characters (Dawson and his family). It's the 4th book in the series, I already put a hold on the 5th (the last) book of the series.
Set in another region of Ghana, this mystery brings us to the illegal gold mines of the Ashanti region.

Texreader I love this author. I‘ve read his Emma Djan stories. Looking forward to starting this series. 3d
JulietteReadsALot @Texreader I was actually thinking of reading books of his Emma Djan series next ;) 3d
20 likes1 stack add2 comments
blurb
JulietteReadsALot
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New books from Nowhere book store ;)
Looking forward to diving into them.

18 likes1 stack add
review
JulietteReadsALot
Tales from the Loop | Simon Stlenhag
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Mehso-so

On the fence on this one. I honestly value the creativity and the world building, but on that last note, I feel something is missing. It's like a series of disconnected events. I'll read the other books in the series to see if they satisfy me more.

Talking about satisfaction... I'll enjoy a nice cup of green tea, with a delicious tart... Miam !

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JulietteReadsALot
A Piece of the World | Christina Baker Kline
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Pickpick

Nice fictional introduction to Christina Olsen, and to the artist Andrew Wyeth.
Kline's writing transports us to this isolated house to meet Christina's world. Effortlessly, we plunge into another time and place, into the intimacy of a guarded woman, hurt by life, who only wants to be seen.

kspenmoll What a wonderful read! Sad, but just lovely. (edited) 2w
28 likes1 comment
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JulietteReadsALot
The Cat Who Saved Books | S?suke Natsukawa
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Pickpick

I really enjoyed diving into this book which makes you question who you are as a reader. A nice tale of friendship, and a coming of age story worth the read.

24 likes1 stack add
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JulietteReadsALot
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Pickpick

*Not in English* A2/B1 level - 5/5
In this powerful book, Anne Plantagenet brings back humanity to Letizia Storti, a woman she met during the shooting of a movie, a woman she interviewed, who had been working for over 35 years in a plant.
It's a really sad story, unfortunately not uncommon, of a woman broken by the company she dedicated so many years to. Plantagenet describes all the events which led Letizia to her suicide attempt at her work. ⬇️

JulietteReadsALot This suicide attempt is covered by the media... Letizia is reduced to “an employee.“ A year or so later, Letizia is reported missing...
This book is a slap in the face. It also questions who are people on the news. When you hear a sad, tragic story, who is actually the person, what was their actual life like, etc.
3w
20 likes1 stack add1 comment
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JulietteReadsALot
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Pickpick

3.75/5
While I prefer Foster and Small Things Like These, these three short stories are still very representative of Keegan's writing style: well-written story which slowly but surely sucks you in.

monalyisha Same! 3w
22 likes1 comment
blurb
JulietteReadsALot
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New day, new books, yeah 📚📚📚

I really love the collection The Passenger by Europa Editions, so any new book, I automatically buy from Bookshop.

And I also received my Book of the Month selection.
Very nice to have book mail, after a lovely morning spent with the San Antonio silent book club, and a lunch with a dear friend.

Now, guess what??? I'll read some more, haha

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JulietteReadsALot
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I decided to drop two of my book clubs...

I'm a member of too many book clubs, and I tried to push myself to only read the books I found interesting, but it just doesn't work for me, and I end up trying to read them anyway, and then I get overwhelmed.

So here are the books I plan on reading next. Only one is a book club pick, which I happened to choose, haha.

I want my reading to be more fun for me ;)

nanuska_153 This was me two years ago, I kind of miss some of them but I'm happy I gave myself the space to just read what I want. Still belong to two book clubs, but one of them is just a set of prompts when each month we all read a book from our own choice of the category and it's just a fun way of discussing books 3w
JulietteReadsALot @nanuska_153 It definitely sounds like a fun book club 😃 I meet with fellow readers each month to talk about the different books we've read (so no assignment), it's a diverse group, and a fun way to hear about books. Thanks for sharing your experience with me. 3w
29 likes2 comments
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JulietteReadsALot
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Panpan

2/5
What a disappointment... I had so much difficulty going through this book. Interesting ideas but their presentation is boring and very repetitive. It is also lacking in depth.

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JulietteReadsALot
The House on Prytania | Karen White
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Welcome to @McMeredithLemonMeringue 🎆🎉🎆

It's always great to have friends from real life joining Litsy. Let's give her a warm welcome!!!

Gissy Welcome to Litzy @McMeredithLemonMeringue 📚🥰🎉🎉🎉 4w
CSeydel Warm welcome @McMeredithLemonMeringue! We‘re glad you‘re here 💛 4w
21 likes2 comments
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JulietteReadsALot
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Pickpick

Last book read in April!
I'm not going to lie, it's a slow read. Still, it's well-written, well-researched, and interesting. I've learned a lot from reading it. I feel the author did a great job trying to stay as unbiased as possible, and to give, as much as he could, the point of view of the natives.

22 likes1 stack add
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JulietteReadsALot
Blue Period 3 | Tsubasa Yamaguchi
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Overall a good reading month ;) I can recommend the three pictured books ;)

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JulietteReadsALot
Blue Period 3 | Tsubasa Yamaguchi
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Pickpick

After cleaning pretty much the whole house, I deserve coffee + some reading time.
But before reading, here's a short review for tagged and pictured book: I still very much enjoy this series. The 3rd book is quite entertaining, I like keeping on learning about art, about Japanese art school systems. Plus, love to see the progress of the main character. It's really great to see the main character's journey and resilience.

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JulietteReadsALot
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Pickpick

Barbara Butcher shares her experience as a New York City Death Investigator, showing us how the system actually works. She talks about how she struggled with alcoholism, and how it led her to this job.
Overall a well-written and interesting read. She talks about several of her cases, and shares what she learned about the dead, but also about the living and life in general.

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JulietteReadsALot
The Collective: A Novel | Alison Gaylin
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Pickpick

This book led to a very interesting conversation at my book club, plenty of themes: grief, justice/revenge, etc.

What makes a good person? When justice fails, are we allowed to seek revenge? How do we grieve? How do we react to people's grief?

Very well constructed plot, with different shades of grey. It's the type of books I really enjoy, books that make you question things, without leading you to an answer.

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JulietteReadsALot
Candide | Voltaire
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Literary quote of the day from my “Sorry, I'm booked“ mug a dear friend gifted to me.

Wish you all to find your happy place ;)

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JulietteReadsALot
Mind Games | Nora Roberts
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Mehso-so

Fast read, Hallmark story with a little bit of Freddy in the mix.

On one side, the perfect family, very loving, and on the other side, an evil young man who likes to kill + a love story with a rock star. Well, the good vs evil, with no grey area, not my cup of tea, neither is the romance.

When I read this type of books, I keep thinking that it would be better with more shades of grey.

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JulietteReadsALot
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Morning coffee as I need fuel for my morning reading!

I finished the tagged book Friday, but I gave my copy to a member of my French reading group who didn't get the chance to get a copy.

This book was a so-so for me, but it led to a very interesting conversation about “les cités“ (projects) in France.
French is my native language, and I really enjoyed having a French book club and conversation club here in San Antonio.

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JulietteReadsALot
The Cat Who Saved Books | S?suke Natsukawa
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New books, shipped directly from France!
Two are for my French book club, and the two others are for one of my English book club. When it's a translation, I prefer to read the book in my native language.
Yes, I could have bought ebooks, but I read enough magazines on my computer, my eyes need physical books 📚

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JulietteReadsALot
Tenth of December: Stories | George Saunders
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Mehso-so

2.5/5 - soft so-so

While I enjoyed some stories, too many left me really not interested. I disliked the lack of world building, and the orality of his writing. My favorites were Victory Lap, The Semplica girls diaries, and Escape from Spiderhead.

23 likes1 stack add
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JulietteReadsALot
The Collective: A Novel | Alison Gaylin
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Cup of coffee + a book I'm about to start...
I've started so many books I want to finish, but need to read this one by Friday because I have to lead the book discussion (the person supposed to had a family emergency).
I really hope I'm going to like it...

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JulietteReadsALot
En sortant de l'école | Jacques Prévert
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Pickpick

Illustrated poem by Jacques Prévert for kids.
A lovely poem with nice illustrations.
Jacques Prévert is a very accessible poet, he wrote poems for kids, but also for adults.

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JulietteReadsALot
Blue Period 2 | Tsubasa Yamaguchi
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Pickpick

I actually preferred this book over the first one in the series. I still like the concept of including art pieces made by actual artists. And it's a fun way to learn about art techniques. It's also nice to follow the progression of the main character.

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JulietteReadsALot
Of Love and Other Demons | Gabriel Garcia Marquez
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Panpan

2/5
Not my cup of tea.
Good writing, but the story didn't work for me. I didn't gain an interest for any of the characters, and I'm sure the story won't stay with me.

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JulietteReadsALot
Beneath a Scarlet Sky | Mark Sullivan
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Pickpick

3/5 - soft pick
WWII in Italy, we follow Pino Lella from an awkward young adult to the end of the war. From his role in the resistance helping Jews to flee through the mountains to his uncomfortable role as a spy. All the experiences of war, good and bad.
Entertaining story based on a true story... How much is actually factual should be kept in mind.

TheSpineView Loved this book! Read an interview with the author, it took him ten years to research and write this book. He said events were actual, but the dialog was all fiction. 2mo
27 likes1 stack add1 comment
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JulietteReadsALot
Monique s'vade | Edouard Louis
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Mehso-so

2.5/5
In this book, that I'm sure will soon be translated into English, Édouard Louis recounts how his mom escaped, with his support, from an abusive relationship.
Some parts I found very interesting, but I had difficulty with his tone and ideas sometimes, hence the so-so.

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JulietteReadsALot
The Mysteries | Bill Watterson
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Pickpick

3.5/5
Quick tale for adults with interestingly weird illustrations.
Tale of the past, tale also about the future. Well-constructed, and interesting. I enjoyed the short ride.

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JulietteReadsALot
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Pickpick

4.5/5
Well-written historical fiction about how war changes society and social rules. I found the characters diverse and well-developed, and I liked the evolution of the different characters.
While not everyone gets a happy end, it's still a feel-good book, full of humor. It offered me a perfect escape ;)

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JulietteReadsALot
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Mehso-so

3/5 - Quick read, second book in the Wren Muller series. The descriptions are very realistic when it comes to what happens to bodies, so if you're sensitive, it may not be a book for you.
Writing is okay, the plot is interesting enough to want to finish the book. Some of the descriptions of the emotional states of characters are redundant and sound superficial.

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JulietteReadsALot
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Pickpick

While I didn't care much about the romance part, I liked how the book was constructed and the different themes: loyalty, time travel and the constant rewriting of the future, how history is written, etc. Good choice for a book club.

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JulietteReadsALot
Blue Period 1 | Tsubasa Yamaguchi
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Pickpick

A Japanese high schooler takes an interest in art. We follow his journey. Loved the concept of including actual paintings by contemporary artists. Also enjoyed all the info about art techniques.

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JulietteReadsALot
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Overall, a good reading month ;)

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JulietteReadsALot
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Mehso-so

3/5
Very well-written autobiography about her childhood spent in Africa (Zimbabwe, Zambia, Malawi). Her sensory descriptions are excellent. However, despite of all that, I wasn't taken by it. I wasn't interested... I guess I would have preferred more in-depth introspection.

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JulietteReadsALot
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Pickpick

First part of the Second Sex.

To-be-read for sure, but before beginning the second tome, I'll let my brain recover, haha.

Very interesting, I just love how she writes, how she builds her arguments. And the amount of research is just mind blowing.

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JulietteReadsALot
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Pickpick

Definitely recommend this book if you're interested in politics.

It's a personal account of the 1960s by Doris and Dick Goodwin through their archives: their role, what they thought at the time, how they looked back on it all.

Doris Goodwin's writing is excellent and intimate.

Susanita She talked about this at last year‘s National Book Festival. Very touching. 3mo
MemoirsForMe Loved this one! 🙌🏻 3mo
25 likes2 comments
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JulietteReadsALot
Le Tartuffe | Jean-Baptiste Moliere
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Pickpick

This comedy, first performed in 1664, is a pleasure to read, especially Dorine's parts.
This play is very topical: a man, Tartuffe, an hypocritical devotee, manages to entirely manipulate another man, Orgon. Manipulation, credulity, blindness are common themes.
Highly recommend!

IMASLOWREADER one of my favorite reads 3mo
25 likes1 comment
blurb
JulietteReadsALot
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Here are my Valentine's gifts from Barnes & Noble.

Two books that seem very interesting
And a Moomin bag, because... I love the Moomins!!!!

review
JulietteReadsALot
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Mehso-so

Soft so-so
It being a debut novel, I would be interested in reading the second book in the series to see if her writing improved.
Entertaining plot, but I found the main character very insecure and immature (quite close to the damsel in distress stereotype) which puts me off.
Khavari's writing about plants was good, but she really hammers the parts about feelings/relationship, something not explicitly said is sometimes better.

Susanita I enjoyed this one, but I bailed on the next one in the series. 3mo
JazzFeathers I read all thee of hers that had been public shed. Enjoyable overall, but as you say, there's always a sense that something is missing. 3mo
23 likes2 comments
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JulietteReadsALot
100 rparties de lgende | Laurence Caracalla
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Pickpick

An interesting collection of witty comebacks, some are pretty fun, like the one on the picture:
- I'm looking for a husband.
- You'd be better off looking for a single guy.

Dilara 😂 3mo
21 likes1 comment
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JulietteReadsALot
Le Tartuffe | Jean-Baptiste Moliere
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Morning read! Le Tartuffe by Molière. My French book club meets tomorrow, and as the organizer, of course I need to take notes ;)
First time reading this play, but I've seen it played (ages ago).

20 likes1 stack add
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JulietteReadsALot
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Panpan

What a disappointment!
Unstructured, very weak and ill-constructed arguments, lack of transitions. All these undermine his ideas.
Overall, it lacks rigor.

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JulietteReadsALot
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My January wrap-up on Storygraph
This morning, I've updated all my readings from April 2024... a huge task! I'll try to keep up with it.
Overall, good reading month ;) Favorite book tagged.

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JulietteReadsALot
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Pickpick

Claire Keegan's writing is just excellent. Through it, she brings alive characters, places, thoughts. Not one unnecessary word, no fandangle. Everything is at the service of the story.
Based on the Magdalene laundries, institutions for “fallen women“ run by Roman Catholic orders, this novella brings to a wider audience the abuse suffered by these women, it's the power of fiction.

sarahbarnes Agreed! Great review. 4mo
26 likes2 stack adds2 comments
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JulietteReadsALot
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Pickpick

This book is a great way to get to know (better) the artist, it focuses mainly on Pärt's search for innovation and inspiration, his quest for finding his musical language. The political background about how his work was impacted by the Soviet government is also interesting.
I loved how the illustrations managed to incorporate the music theme.

Anna40 I liked this one too! 😊 4mo
JulietteReadsALot @Anna40 Yes, just when I was done writing my review, I checked the book page, and saw yours, haha. It made me smile 😊 4mo
Anna40 😊 4mo
18 likes3 comments
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JulietteReadsALot
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Pickpick

3rd book in the Dawson series.
Interesting plot.
What I like in this series, is that yes, it's a murder mystery, but also that it is set in Ghana, so it's a change of scenery and culture.

18 likes2 stack adds
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JulietteReadsALot
The Art Thief | Michael Finkel
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Mehso-so

3/5
Thorough look into the series of theft committed by Stéphane Breitwieser and his girlfriend in the 90s.
While it is an easy and fluid read, I didn't find the book compelling: it feels repetitive at times, and over 200 pages for this story is kind of overkill...

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JulietteReadsALot
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Pickpick

So many things happening in this volume... Luckily, I have the next one available!!!
Very entertaining read.

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JulietteReadsALot
The Measure | Nikki Erlick
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Pickpick

3.25/5
+: the idea of the threads, and how knowing your life expectancy could change our society, how would people react, and the play of social media, all these elements were quite realistic and interesting, well executed. Gives a lot of food for thought.

-: some lacking in character's building, quite close to stereotopycal characters at times. Also some plot twists I saw coming a mile away.

Overall good read, especially for a debut novel.