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Golden Son & Morning Star

Author:

Pierce Brown

Publisher:

Del Rey New York

Content (Blurb):

Golden Son:

He seeks justice. To free his enslaved people, Darrow has infiltrated his world´s brutal ruling class – on a mission to destroy them. And though the only path to liberation is revolution, he must strive not for vengeance but for a hopeful rebirth.

Morning Star:

Darrow would have lived in peace, but his enemies brought him war. So he fights back. To win, Darrow must inspire his people to break their chains and claim a destiny too long denied – and glorious to surrender.

My review:

This book series is dystopian Science Fiction at its best! I can’t describe how much I love this book series. Pierce Brown created something unbelievable and gripping on every level. This book series is definitely the best I read this year so far. So let’s talk about what I loved so much about these two books. Golden Son and Morning star are the second and third book of the trilogy and even better than the first book, Red Rising. Red Rising literally pales in comparison to its sequels, and I couldn’t think that this was possible.

This is not the typical YA book series, it actually has nothing in common with the regular YA story. Golden Son and Morning Star are an adult sci-fi book, with a lot of warfare, blood, death and loss. And I loved everything about it, because it made this fight for freedom and Darrow’s story so much more genuine. There is no sugar-coating at all and there is a lot of brutality, harsh words and hard scenes. Let this be a trigger warning to anyone who is sensitive to brutality and harsh words. I really liked this aspect about both books because it made the characters, their relationships and this harsh world authentic.

Golden Son and Morning star are gripping from page one and continues to be so until the last page. I was literally riveted to the book. In contrast to the first part, the story is a true sci-fi highlight. Both books are packed with thrilling politics, bloody space or ground warfare, non-stop action and a lot of twist and turns. This book is literal madness, and It's been a long time since I've read such an incredibly exciting book that, despite all the action, doesn't forget to develop the story and characters in a really great way.

“Home isn't where you're from, it's where you find light when all grows dark.”

Another thing I also loved about the books is their world building and politics. Golden Son and Morning Star go much more in detail about the world, it’s cruel rulers and the corrupt as well as brutal politics. Pierce Brown created a complex world with a lot of detail, but within the thrilling chaos and fights, he somehow managed to describe all that without being overwhelming. It was described perfectly, and I never felt liked I didn’t understand anything. Both books also empathized on its characters finding their purpose in this cruel world. And all of that happens between space travel and the discovery of new worlds.

“Friendships take minutes to make, moments to break, years to repair.”

Besides the gripping story and the world building, I really got attached to the characters. Their development was huge in these two books and I loved to see how their relationship evolved and how their personalities, strengths and weaknesses developed as well as shaped this story. Also, the new characters (Ragnar, Victra and Lorn) joined the story and added a whole new dimension to the story. This story is all about Family, legacy, loyalty, redemption, friendship, and love between all the warfare, blood and loss. Which brings me to another point I loved about these two books: They are complex. And I really do love a complex book where I can’t predict the story. And this is exactly what Pierce Brown did with these two books.

The last thing I loved about this book series and especially these two books is Pierce Brown’s prose. His storytelling, the dialogues and the narrative he used to tell this story are on a whole other level. I can only recommend reading the book series, so you can understand what I’m talking about.

Resume:

The best book series I read so far this year! This is the perfect dystopian Sci-fi book series. The second and third book of the trilogy left me speechless. Pierce Brown combines complex world building and politics, endless action, cliffhangers, sci-fi warfare at its best, a fight for freedom, authentic characters with great character development, friendships and love through his matchless prose. I am a huge fan!

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Die Spionin

Autor:

Imogen Kealey

Verlag:

Aufbau Verlage

Inhalt (Buchrücken):

Für die Alliierten ist die ihre beste Agentin, eine todesmutige Frau, die ihre Gegner mit allen Mitteln bekämpft. Für die Nazis ist die die meistgesuchte Person Frankreichs, ein gefürchtetes  Phantom, auf dessen Kopf fünf Millionen Francs ausgesetzt sind. Für ihren Mann Henri ist die Frau, für die er sein Leben zu riskieren bereit ist, Ihr Name ist Nancy Wake – und sie kämpft für die Liebe.

Meine Rezension:

Die Spionin ist spannend, voller Emotionen und hat mich zum Ende gefesselt, sondern auch tief beeindruckt, da es sich um eine Geschichte nach wahren Begebenheiten handelt. Grundsätzlich hat es einige Kapitel gedauert bis ich in den Roman reinkommen und mich die Handlungen wirklich fesseln konnte. Für mich war insbesondere der Schreibstil und die Ausdrucksweise in den Dialogen der Grund dafür. Für mich war der Schreibstil eher stockend und nicht fließend. Insbesondere zu Beginn waren mir die Dialoge etwas zu erzwungen.     

Gerade zur Mitte und dann zum Ende des Buches, hat es mich dann doch gefesselt. Die Tatsache, dass sich das Buch nach wahren Begebenheiten geschrieben wurde, hat mich im Laufe der Geschichte besonders in den Bann gezogen. Mit Nancy Wake wird die Geschichte einer wahnsinnig beeindruckenden, starken Frau, mit einem einmaligen Kampfesgeist erzählt in einer der dunkelsten Abschnitte der Geschichte. Der Mut dieser Frau, die Opfer, die sie für ihren Kampf um Freiheit geben musste sind beeindruckend und werden in diesem Buch wirklich gut dargestellt.              

Dieser historische Roman hat nicht nur die Schrecken des NS-Regimes aufgezeigt, sondern auch eine Seite der Geschichte bleichtet, die mir noch gar nicht so bekannt war. Der Kampf der Franzosen gegen die Besatzung der Nazis, war mir zwar nicht unbekannt, aber hat in diesem Buch nochmal einen ganze anderen Blick auf die Geschichte gegeben, was mir wirklich gut gefallen hat. Und viel mehr habe ich mich wirklich gefragt, wie es sein kann, dass ich bisher nichts über diese beeindruckende Frau gehört habe? In dem Buch wurden natürlich gewisse reale Ereignisse ausgeschmückt und umschrieben oder durch fiktionale Elemente ergänzt, trotzdem hat mich am Ende diese Geschichte wirklich beeindruckt. Gefallen hat mir auch, dass die Autorin am Ende des Buches  ein Kapitel zur Eingrenzung des Gelesenen eingefügt hat, in dem die Realität klar von den fiktionalen Elementen des Buches getrennt wurden.                      

Fazit:

Auch wenn ich etwas Schwierigkeiten hatte in das Buch reinzukommen und mich der Schreibstil nicht ganz überzeugen konnte, kann ich dieses Buch doch weiterempfehlen. Dieses Buch stellt die Schrecken der Nazis und den bemerkenswerten Kampf der Franzosen und insbesondere der wahnsinnig mutigen und Starken Frau Nancy Wake beeindruckend dar.

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Beautiful bookstores in New York Part II 🗽🏙️

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The Raven Boys

Author:

Maggie Stiefvater

Publisher:

Scholastic

Content (Blurb):

Even if Blue hadn’t been told her true love would die if she kissed him, she would stay away from boys. Especially the ones from the local private school. Known as Raven Boys, they only mean trouble. But this is the year that everything will change for Blue. This is the year that she will be drawn into the   strange and sinister world of the Raven Boys. And the year Blue will discover that magic does exist. This is the year she will fall in love.

My Review:

The Raven Boys was a real surprise, and a positive one at that. The blurb is very misleading because this book is anything but a typical YA romance book and I was really pleased about that.

This story revolves around friendship, the hunt for mysteries, magic, ghosts and psychics. The Raven Boys takes you into Blue's world, which is marked by magic and the future, which her mother can read as a psychic (we're talking real psychics who can actually see the future). Blue is pulled into the world of the four Raven Boys, even though she always wanted to stay away from them. Thus begins the mysterious hunt for a legend and Blue gets closer and closer to the magic that lies within herself. The hunt for the ghost or legend of Glendower is not only exciting and not at all what I expected from this book, but also contains dangerous secrets, death and a new world that is both good and evil.

All the magic and secrets were almost gruesome in places and are really something special. The book surprised me again and again in several places and even if the tension builds up a little more slowly, the story captivated me and a different, mysterious tension builds up. I loooooved the mystery, magic and secrets that surround Blue's mother and the women who live with them and all the Psychics sing. Above all, I also loved the womanhood between the women, the magic and the strength of these women.

“You're looking for a god. Didn't you suspect that there was also a devil?”

This book is not an action-packed thrilling mystery, but a book that focuses on unique characters, dangerous mysteries and friendship. However, that is what makes this book unique. I especially liked the characters, who are not typical YA characters, but are all something special.

The characters are all unique, complex and deep. We don't learn that much about Blue and her character yet. She is curious, brave, but also secretive and the magic in her in particular gives her something mysterious. What I really liked is that she takes her magic and also the prediction about her first kiss really seriously. So we don't have a typical YA character who falls in love and kisses someone recklessly despite all the truth. She thinks of others and is really compassionate.

With Ronan we have a cruel, rude, sarcastic and grumpy character who also has a caring side. He carries a lot of inner pain and conflict with him. As readers, we learn background information about his past. One of my favourite characters that we will hopefully learn more about in the next books. Noah was not an important character at the beginning he just seemed to be very shy and quiet, but trust me this character will surprise you the most! A character I didn’t like much was Adam. He is a silent character, always observing and calculating, he didn't deserve this life and all the burdens he had to carry, but I think he was unfair towards Gansey. And then we have Gansey, a really surprising character. He is driven by the hunt for a legend and believes in magic. He is a compassionate character who is always there for his friends and cares about them. Also one of my favourite characters.

Watch for the devil. When there’s a god, there’s always a legion of devils.”

Resume:

A book that really surprised me with its mysteries, secrets and unique characters. This book has a melancholic, dark and in some places creepy tension that really captivated me.

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Hard Land

Autor:

Bendict Wells

Verlag:

Diogenes Verlag

Inhalt (Buchrücken):

Missouri, 1985: Um vor den Problemen zu Hause zu fliehen, nimmt der fünfzehnjährige Sam einen Ferienjob in einem alten Kino an. Um einen magischen Sommer lang ist alles auf den Kopf gestellt. Er findet Freunde, verliebt sich und entdeckt die Geheimnisse seiner Heimatstadt. Zum ersten Mal ist er kein unsicherer Außenseiter mehr. Bis etwas passiert, das ihn zwingt erwachsen zu werden.

Meine Rezension:

Bendict Wells hat mich mit seinem Roman „Vom Ende der Einsamkeit“ sofort abgeholt und daher musste ganz schnell ein weiterer Roman von ihm her. „Hard Land“ wollte ich schon lange lesen und dieses Buch hat definitiv nicht enttäuscht. Mit „Hard Land“ hat Benedict Wells einen wirklich tollen Roman geschaffen, der sich insbesondere durch seine melancholische Atmosphäre auszeichnet. Als Leser wird man sofort  in die aufregende, veränderte und freie Atmosphäre der Jugend in den Sommerferien zurück versetzt. Dieses Buch ist wirklich eine wahre Hommage an die Jugend und einem großen Sommer.

Die Stimmung in dem Buch und das auf und ab der Gefühle kann man auch gut mit den Worten einer der Protagonisten Kristie beschreiben „Euphancolie“. Dieses Wort ist eine Mischung aus den Wörtern Melancholie und Euphorie, also genau das was diesen Roman auszeichnet. Kristie beschreibt diese Stimmung im Buch wie folgt: "Einerseits zerreißt's dich vor Glück, gleichzeitig bist du schwermütig, weil du weißt, dass du was verlierst oder dieser Augenblick mal vorbei sein wird." Und genau das beschreibt diesen Roman!

Was mir auch wirklich sehr an dem Buch gefallen hat ist die reale Darstellung der vier Protagonisten um Sam. Alle vier Jugendlichen sei es Außenseiter, beliebte Schönheit, Sportler oder der Junge, der schwul ist, werden tiefgründig dargestellt, mit komplizierten Emotionen und vor allem mit Ecken und Kanten. Benedict Wells schafft es wirklich herausragend die Lebenssituationen und die damit verbundenen Emotionen der Jugendlichen darzustellen.

Emotionen sind grundlegend für dieses Buch. Hard Land zeigt das Gefühlschaos der Jugend auf, vom höchsten Hoch zum tiefsten Tief, von Glück bis Schicksalsschlag. Auch das hat mich wirklich vom Buch überzeugt und wirkte zu keinem Zeitpunkt fehl am Platz, überzogen oder erzwungen, sondern einfach authentisch und real.

Hard Land behandelt in all seinen Emotionen insbesondere die Themen Freundschaft, Liebe, Familie, Heimat und Verlust. All diese Themen verbindet Benedict Wells mit diesem Roman und seiner Geschichte über die vier Jugendlichen, die sich in einem einzigartigen Sommer finden, kennenlernen sowie Höhen und Tiefen miteinander erleben. Ein wirklich großartiges Buch!

Fazit:

Ein wirklich großartiges Buch über die Jugend. Dieses Buch zeichnet sich durch seine einzigartige Atmosphäre zwischen Melancholie und Euphorie aus und versetzt einen sofort in die eigene Jugend zurück. Ein  toller Roman über Freundschaft, Liebe, Familie, Heimat und Verlust mit authentischen und realen Charakteren. Kann dieses Buch wirklich nur weiterempfehlen.

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Blade Breaker

Author:

Victoria Aveyard

Publisher: - Orion Publishing Group

Content (Blurb):

The Fate of the world rests on a blades edge.

Andry. A former squire. Fights for hope amid blood and chaos.

Dom. A grieving immortal. Strives to fulfil a broken oath.

Sorasa. An outcast assassin. Faces her past when it returns with sharpened teeth.

Valtik. An old sorceress. Summons a mighty power.

And Corayne. A pirate’s daughter with an ancient magic in her blood. Steps closer to becoming the hero she’s destined to be.

My Review:

Blade Braker by Victoria Aveyard really sold me on the book series and was a lot better than the first instalment of the book series.

I particularly enjoyed this book because of our group of heroes around Corayne. Balde Braker puts a focus on growing the group together and building real relationships between the characters. Now they really fight together against danger and evil. In the process, real friendships and, of course, romantic relationships are formed. This group of strangers full of mistrust towards each other really grows together between all the fights and dangers. I could really empathize with the group this time and see them much more as a unit, which was really fun to read.

We have a group of strong characters in this second instalment that we learn more about. I really liked that too and it made the characters more relatable and complete for me. My favourite part of this book was Sorasa Sarn. Learning more about her and following her character development as part of a group was almost the best thing about the book for me.

Blade Braker also convinces with its suspense, the fights and the evil forces. As readers, we learn a lot more about the evil forces and the world that must now stand up to these forces or join them.

In this book you meet many other kingdoms and their rulers, which gives you a much better overview of the world and reveals some depths and interesting secrets. My favourite part was the meeting of Corayne and her mother and the fact that the pirates join the fight against evil. All in all, new alliances are formed in this book, which gives the book new perspectives and a lot more suspense.

With Balde Braker, Aveyard also delves deeper into themes such as power, conquest, greed, transience or even righteousness. It was really exciting to follow Taristan and Erida and to see how the evil, the greed for power and control develops in these two.

In contrast to the first part of the book series, I really enjoyed experiencing the story from the different characters' points of view. This time, Aveyard did a much better job of integrating the characters' stories, feelings and struggles. This made the book less choppy and the different points of view complemented each other well and kept the story flowing.

Resume:

With Blade Breaker, Victoria Aveyard has really convinced me of the book series. The development of the characters and their growing together as a group and friends was the best thing about the book. In addition, the second part convinces with many new exciting details, kingdoms, power struggles, magic and secrets.

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The best picture does exist 🐈 📚

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Hell Bent

Author:

Leigh Bardugo

Publisher:

Flatiron Books

Content (Blurb):

Galaxy „Alex“ Stern is determined to break ot ouf hell – even if it costs her a future at Leethe and at Yale. But Alex is playing with forces far beyond her control, and when faculty members begin to die off, she knows these aren’t just accidents. Something deadly is at work in New Heaven, and I Alex is going to survive, she’ll have to reckon with the monsters of her past and a darkness built into the university’s very walls.

My Review:

As always, Leigh Bardugo has not disappointed me. Ninth House is one of the best fantasy books I've read so far and Hell Bent follows on seamlessly from there.

I would like to issue a trigger warning at this point. This book goes into great detail and topics such as blackmail, nudity, coarse language, hints of rape, hints of drug abuse, graphic scenes and death. This should definitely be considered before starting the book series.

It's no secret that I love Leigh Bardugi's books. Hell Bent not only met my expectations, it exceeded them and is already one of the best fantasy books I've read in 2024. Once again, it was the group of characters, with all their flaws, nooks and crannies, that won me over the most. I love how Bardugo creates characters in this book that are anything but perfect. All these characters seem really real. As readers, we accompany them with their mistakes, regrets, traumas and especially their individual urge to find a family, to belong and to be accepted. And I was really touched by how Bardugo portrays and details the backgrounds of the characters (not just Alex, Dawes and Darlington's) but also those who rejoin the rescue of Darlington.

All in all, I took each of the characters to my heart. Dawes is wonderful and her intelligence and loyalty to Alex and Darlington made me fall in love with her immediately. Detective Turner is another great character who hides a soft core behind his hard exterior and is always there when you need him. Another great character who joins the group is Tripp. He seems to round off the group with his reserved manner. I love this group that is becoming more and more like a family as they fight hell

All the fantasy aspects of this book, through the secret houses of Yale, their rituals and of course Alex as a medium and her connections to hell round off the book perfectly for me. Bardugo has created a truly mysterious fantasy world that hides in the middle of our normal world and tries to cover up dark secrets. But it is also a dangerous fantasy world where you never know who you can trust and where dark magic is not uncommon. Alex and her friends take on these dark forces to free Darlington from hell and every single chapter was so exciting that I didn't want to stop reading.

Resume:

I am an absolute fan of the book series. Everything about this book is thrilling and had me hooked immediately. Packed with a unique group of characters, dangers straight from hell and plenty of dark secrets, you can't go wrong with this book.

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Autor:

- Susan Abdulhawa

Verlag:

- Diana Verlag

Inhalt (Buchrücken):

Jenin im Blumenmonat April: Frühmorgens, bevor die Welt um sie herum erwacht, liest Amals Vater ihr aus den Werken großer Dichter vor. Es sind Momente des Friedens und des Glücks, die Amal ihr Leben lang im Herzen trägt — ein Leben, das im Flüchtlingslager beginnt, nach Amerika führt und dennoch stets geprägt ist vom scheinbar ausweglosen Konflikt zwischen Israel und Palästina. Über vier Generationen erzählt Susan Abulhawa eine tief berührende Geschichte über den Verlust der Heimat, eine zerrissene Familie und die immerwährende Hoffnung auf Versöhnung.

Meine Rezension:

Dieses Buch hat mich wirklich sprachlos gemacht und mich tief berührt. Niemand kann mittlerweile sagen, man hätte nichts mitbekommen und nichts gesehen oder gehört. Was in Palästina passiert und wie der Staat Israel und seine Anhänger die Palästinenser vertreiben, unterdrücken, ihnen keinerlei Menschenwürde übrig lassen und unmenschliche Verbrechen verüben, ist kein Geheimnis mehr. Dieses Buch hat mir vieles über die Geschichte Palästinas, die Kultur der Menschen, den Beginn des Staates Israels und die Nakba aufgezeigt. Jeder kann sich weiterbilden zu dem Thema und sich positionieren für Menschlichkeit, Freiheit, Frieden, Gleichheit und Menschenwürde, unabhängig von Herkunft und Religion. Ich kann dieses Buch wirklich weiterempfehlen, wenn man mehr über die Geschichte lernen möchte. 🍉

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Momente vergehen, während Zeiten in unzählige Erinnerungen zerfließen

Sie folgt seinen Blicken, während sie den Wipfel seiner Augen erliegt

Sie lässt sich fallen und die Wellen ihrer Stürme an die Kanten seiner Gedanken ruhen

Als hätten all die Meere ihrer Träume und all die Tiefen seiner Wege nur darauf gewartet aufeinander zu stoßen

Sie verschreibt sich den Tiefen seiner Winde und den Stimmen seiner Gedanken

Zwischen all dem Vergänglichen und all den Stimmen greift sie nach dem Ewigen und der Ruhe inmitten all der unzähligen Stürme

Sie greift nach der Zukunft gemeißelt in den Spuren seiner Berührungen und den Lichtern seines Lachen

- Azra

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Malibu Rising

Author:

Taylor Jenkins Reid

Publisher:

Penguin Random House UK

Content (Blurb):

August 1983. It is the day of Nina Riva’s annual end-of-summer party. Everyone who is anyone wants to be around the Rivas: surfer and supermodel Nina, brothers Jay and Hud, and their baby sister Kit. Together, the siblings are a source of fascination in Malibu and the world over – especially as the children of the legendary singer Mick Riva.

By midnight, the party will be completely out of control.

By morning, the Riva mansion will have gone up in flames.

But before that, the alcohol will flow, the music will play and secrets will come bubbling to the surface.

My Review:

Malibu Rising is the first book I've read by Taylor Jenkins Read. I didn't have any great expectations of the book and didn't quite know what I would encounter. Malibu Rising really surprised me in a positive way and will probably stay in my head for a long time. This story is carried by its characters and the unique atmosphere that TJR creates with her writing style.

At first glance, there is nothing unique about this story. It is a story about a functional and dysfunctional relationship and family. However, TJR manages to give the story something unique. Her writing style, the feelings she authentically portrays, the characters with their worries, doubts, hopes, with their good and bad sides, give the book a very special atmosphere that really captivated me from beginning to end.

Fundamental to the book is the search for love and belonging, for acceptance and self-determination. In particular, the pressure that comes with taking care of a family and putting your own needs on the back burner is portrayed by TJR in this book. She describes in a really heartbreaking way what it means to love someone who isn't always there when you need them, who betrays you and doesn't love you back in equal measure. All these feelings really got to me and are authentically portrayed by the characters.

Another special thing about this book is that TJR doesn't necessarily make the reader sympathize with the characters, but she manages to make the reader feel with them. This is really something special about her books and I really enjoyed it.  The Riva siblings, their fate and their lives feel real and authentic. You feel like you are following the lives of real people, empathizing with them, understanding them and becoming familiar with them.

Resume:

With Malibu Rising, Taylor Jenkins Reads has created a book that immediately captivated me with its real characters, destinies and emotions. The search for love, acceptance and self-determination, as well as the sacrifices for family and love itself, really touched me.

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Ich fliege durch Gedanken und Momente

Und falle unaufhaltsam in Richtung meiner Winde und all den Augenblicken meiner Träume

Ich breche durch die Schwellen und Grenzen meiner Stürme

Und lasse mich auf den unzähligen Geschichten nieder, um all die Magie nicht zu versäumen

Ich stürze durch die Wolken meiner Blicke und des Erlebten

Und versuche Atem zu finden zwischen all den Stimmen, versuche immer wieder, mich selbst nicht zu leugnen

Ich gleite durch die Schatten und Lichter meiner Zeilen

Und versuche mich unwiderruflich in ihnen zu verewigen und all den Lauten zu entfliehen

- Azra

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Der grosse Sommer

Autor:

Ewald Arenz

Verlag:

Dumont

Inhalt (Buchrücken):

Die Zeichen auf einen entspannten Sommer stehen schlecht für Frieder: Nachprüfung in Mathe und Latein. Damit fällt der Familienurlaub für ihn aus. Ausgerechnet beim gestrengen Großvater muss er lernen. Doch zum Glück gibt es Alma, Johann – und Beate, das Mädchen im flaschengrünen Badeanzug.  Frieder begegnet alles in dieser Zeit: die Liebe und der Tod, Freundschaft und Angst, Respekt und Vertrauen. Ein großer Sommer, der sein ganzes Leben prägen wird.

Meine Rezension:

Der grosse Sommer ist das erste Buch, das ich von Ewald Arenz gelesen habe, und ich wurde wirklich ab der ersten Seite von seinem Schreibstil in den Bann gezogen. Dieses Buch ist etwas Ganz Besonderes. Durch die ausdrucksstarke Sprache schildert Ewald Arenz die Gedanken und Gefühle von Frieder sehr pointiert. Dies wirkt aber keinesfalls überladen oder kitschig. Ewald Arenz fängt die Gefühlswelt eines Teenagers wunderbar authentisch auf. Als Leser begleiten wir Frieder in seinen Sommerferien, die er bei seinem strengen Großvater und mit Lernen verbringen muss. Alleine ist er jedoch nicht und verbringt den Sommer außerdem mit seiner Schwester Alva, seinem besten Freund Johann und Beate, seiner ersten großen Liebe. Ewald Arenz hat eine einzigartige nostalgische Atmosphäre geschaffen. Ohne Probleme vermittelt er das erwartungsvolle und freie Gefühl der Sommerferien. Mit all den Erwartungen und Gerüchen eines großen Sommers hat er mich in meine eigene Schulzeit zurückversetzt. Arenz hat wirklich ein einmaliges Gespür für die sommerlich aufgeheizte Stadtatmosphäre und die träge Stimmung in Deutschland in den 1980er-Jahren.

Durch die ausdrucksvolle Sprache konnte ich den Spirit dieses für Frieder so besonderen Sommers nachfühlen. Genauso gelungen erzählt fand ich auch, welche Bedeutung scheinbare Banalitäten für Frieder hatten und wie diese ihn in diesem Sommer beeinflusst und verändert haben.

Eine weitere wichtige Figur in diesem Buch ist Frieders Großvater – ein strenger Mann, der nach festen Regeln und Tagesabläufen lebt und trotzdem einen weichen Kern hat, den wir als Leser mit Frieder gemeinsam entdecken. In Verbindung mit dem Großvater geht Ewald Arenz auch auf  die weiterhin spürbaren Nachbeben des Nationalsozialismus ein. Die Familiengeschichte der Großmutter und des Großvaters entdeckt Frieder in den Tagebüchern seiner Großmutter. Hier findet er Hinweise auf die Geschichte ihrer Vertreibung aus den ehemaligen deutschen Ostgebieten. Sein Großvater, ein Professor für Virologie und Bakteriologie, stellt einen jener harten, undurchdringlichen Männer dar, die der Krieg hervorgebracht hat. Durch seinen Großvater werden damit auch Themen und Gefühle wie Tod, Liebe, Vertrauen, Angst und Respekt in den Roman aufgenommen.

Fazit:

Ein wunderbarer Roman voller Nostalgie. Ewald Arenz ausdrucksvolle Sprache hat mich sofort in den Bann gezogen und diesem Buch eine einmalige Atmosphäre gegeben. Dieses Buch zeichnet sich durch seine Gefühle und Atmosphäre aus und nimmt den Leser mit in einen unvergesslichen Sommer.

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Red Rising

Author:

Pierce Brown

Publisher:

Hodderscape

Content (Blurb):

The earth is dying. Darrow is a Red, a minor in the interior of Mars. His mission is to extract enough precious elements to one day tame the surface of the planet and allow humans to live on it. The Red are humanity’s last hope.

Or so it appears, until the day Darrow discovers it’s all a lie. That Mars has been habitable – and inhabited – for generations, by a class of people calling themselves the Golds. A class of people who look at Darrow and his fellows as slave labour, to be exploited and worked without a second thought.

Until the day Darrow, with the help of a mysterious group of rebels, disguises himself as a Gold and infiltrates their command school, intent on taking down his battlefield – and Darrow isn’t the only student with angels.

My review:

This book is the ultimate dystopian fantasy book and something for the hard-boiled among us. I was immediately captivated by the uniqueness of Darrow's story. It's been a long time since I've read such an exciting, shocking and inspiring sci-fi / fantasy book. The book has a very special place on my bookshelf.

Red Rising is characterized in particular by its emotions. The harsh realities of oppression and exploitation are clearly portrayed by Pierce Brown and are an important part of the new world on Mars.  Pierce Brown definitely doesn't shy away from describing the horror of oppression, and violence, so you should only read this book if you have no problems with these topics.

The story takes place on Mars and depicts the futuristic colonies that live there. Among them is Darrow, who lives underground and works to prepare Mars for humans and make it livable, or so they are told. Darrow is the main character and one of the youngest Helldivers in his colony of Red. He puts his life on the line every day to prepare Mars. The work is hard and the Reds live in harsh conditions, starving and constantly having to fight to survive. The oppression and lies against the Reds become particularly clear when Darrow joins a rebellion due to tragic events. There he learns that Mars has long since been colonized. He then begins a life among the Golds, who live on Mars with all the comforts and luxuries. His goal is to infiltrate and overthrow them. Pierce Brown presents the differences between the Reds and Golds in an incredibly exciting and captivating way. In particular, I was immediately captivated by the systematic oppression and the web of lies that have been built up in this world.

Despite the hardship, all the sacrifices and the violent struggle for freedom, Pierce Brown combines all the darkness with friendship, cohesion and love, something that really surprised and convinced me of the book. He clearly shows that it is not always so easy to distinguish between good and evil and that great sacrifices are necessary to successfully lead a rebellion for freedom.

In some fantasy and sci-fi books, the world building and understanding of the world can take some time. However, I was surprised at how easily I was able to immerse myself in this complex world, the castes and colonies, and the political issues. The book is not long and Pierce Brown describes the world and its background in a surprisingly detailed and understandable way amidst all the exciting and captivating events.

Red Rising captivated me with its unique world, the conflicts and characters, but especially with the emotions. I can hardly wait to read the second part of the series.

Resume:

 Red Rising is an insanely exciting sci-fi and epic fantasy book that has won a very special place in my heart. Pierce Brown knows how to combine a unique world with deep characters and exciting events.

This book is a definite recommendation and I am already looking forward to the second part of the series.

[buecherbummlerin]

Realm Breaker

Author:

Victoria Aveyard

Publisher:

Harper Teen

Content:

A strange Darkness is growing in the War.d Even Corayne an-Amarat can feel it, tucked away in her small town at the edge of the sea. Fate knocks on her door, in the form of a mystical immortal and lethal assassin, who tell Corayne that she is the last of an ancient lineage – with the power to save the world from destruction. Because a man who would burn kingdoms to the ground is raising an army unlike any seen before, bent on uprooting the foundations of the world. With poison in his heart and a stolen sword in his hand, he’ll break the realm itself to claim it. And only Corayne can stop him.

Alongside an unlikely group of reluctant allies, Corayne finds herself on a desperate journey to complete an impossible task, with untold magic singing in her blood and the fate of the world in her shoulders.

My Review:

I have mixed feelings about this book. I liked a lot of things, but I wasn't really blown away by the book.

What I particularly liked about the book was the world building and magic Victoria Aveyard created in this book. The whole world with its secrets, the pirates, the lords, the magic and especially the dark enemies were great and really have a lot of potential.

The characters and the group of main characters, who fight for a common cause despite their differences, have just as much potential.

Unfortunately, the book didn't bring these great elements together well enough and didn't build relationships between the characters, but also between the world and the magic. A lot of things only happened superficially, which is often normal for the first part of a fantasy book series, as a lot has to be introduced to the reader first.

Nevertheless, I was particularly disappointed to see how such a great group of characters and individuals could find so little common ground and really become a team on such a dangerous journey.

The fact that the book couldn't quite captivate me was also due to the fact that the narrative perspectives of the 6 main characters kept switching. This took its toll on the harmony of the story and was unnecessary in my opinion.

However, I liked the idea that brought the main characters together and their fight to save their own world. Also really great were the portrayals of the villains and the atmosphere that was built around them. Here Voctoria Aveyard did exactly what I felt was missing with the main characters and brought them together in their dark endeavours. 

Also the cliff-hanger at the end of the book really surprised me and brought tension into the story that had been missing so far. For me, this story really has a lot of potential, especially because of the interesting world with its many different facets and the individual characters, who just need to be brought together in a sensible way. Despite everything, I will continue reading this series and hope that the second part will finally really blow me away.

Resume:

I will definitely continue reading this book series. The story has a lot of potential, especially with the world building, the magic and the individual characters. However, the first part definitely lacked relationships, chemistry and a proper connection between the characters and the world. I hope this changes in the second part of the book series.