Just another Hype or Like Friday! This meme and Goodreads group were created by myself, Jill @ Rant and Rave Books, and Britt @ Geronimo Reads. To join our group and find out more information about what it’s all about, please go to our Goodreads page HERE.
The May BOTM is Strange the Dreamer (Strange the Dreamer, #1) by Laini Taylor.
RULES:
- Answer the weekly discussion topic.
- Optional: Discuss your chosen hyped book of the week.
- Optional: Talk about your progress on the BOTM.
TOPIC OF THE WEEK: May 26th – Strange the Dreamer book review
Review
Strange the Dreamer (Strange the Dreamer, #1) by Laini Taylor
Let me start this review off by saying that I still have about 100 pages left in this book. I know that I probably shouldn’t review this until I’m completely done with it, however, I know exactly how I’m going to rate this book, no matter how these next 100 pages go. Unless the ending is just god-awful, then we might have to revisit my feelings on my Goodreads review. I hope that doesn’t happen though, yikes!
The first thing you need to know about this book is that it’s classic Laini Taylor. The story is engrossing, whimsical, and extremely atmospheric. Taylor has an amazing storytelling ability. Her world-building captures your attention from the very first chapter and doesn’t let go. Her writing is beautiful, able to vividly bring her world to life. I’m sure this isn’t news to anyone who’s read her work before. So don’t worry, she hasn’t changed a bit.
Okay, I’m a bit obsessed with Lazlo. I just loveeeeee him! He’s so adorable and I cannot get enough of his humor. I wasn’t expecting him to ever really develop such a fun personality when we are first introduced to him, but once he begins the journey to Weep and begins to socialize, his transformation is so amazing. If this book had only followed his POV, I would’ve been perfectly okay with that. While I love Lazlo, I’m not the biggest fan of Sarai. I find her to be kind of boring and uninteresting. Her chapters seemed to go on for way longer than I would’ve liked. I wish she wasn’t so timid and unwilling to stick up for herself. It would also be nice if she had more of a personality, but unfortunately, she’s just too bland for my taste. The rest of the cast consists of side characters who are all pretty interesting. I never had any trouble trying to remember who was who, but found them to be easily discernible from one another.
My issue with this book has to do with the pacing. The issue with Taylor’s writing, is that she doesn’t revolve around much action in her novels. Her fluid writing and vivid world-building is what her stories focus on, which in turn can really affect the pacing. So when it comes to an almost 600 page book, there comes a point where you really start to feel a lack of action or an uptick in excitement. I could definitely tell that this was a first book in a series, in that it really focused more on the different characters, their stories, and the history of the Weep. I think that might have affected how long it’s taken me to finish this novel. I prefer at least a little action to break up the monotony, especially in longer books, but this one is more of a steady uphill climb.
Overall I found this to be a strong opening book for Taylor’s new series. While I would’ve have preferred a bit more action throughout, I still found the story to be fairly engaging. Creativity and originality shine in this story and I’m really looking forward to seeing where it goes from here. I’m hoping that there might be a bit more focus on action and adventure in the rest of the books! If you’ve enjoyed Laini Taylor’s previous books, this one won’t disappoint you. The story might seem a little strange, but that’s what makes it good… See what I did there? 😉
Final Verdict: 4/5 stars
Have you read Strange the Dreamer? What did you think of it? Did you prefer Lazlo to Sarai? Did the pacing bother you? Leave a link to your Hype or Like Friday post in the comments below!
Wonderfilled Reads 