Rhapsodic and Strange the Dreamer: Book Commentary/Discussion

Hey all, 

So I think I'm always going to start my blog updates/posts with a little life update from now on because I feel like it might be more relatable (idk could be so wrong about that) and because I like sharing what's going on. In my last post, I talked about how my life had really changed big time. I uploaded that post right when my C had first gone away (he's a navy boy now if you are just reading my blog for the first time) and I was really hurting emotionally because well he's my best friend and I told him everything. Since then I've only talked to him for 30 minutes total in the 6 weeks he has been there. This week is Parent's Weekend, which I was unable to attend because of some outside and personal reasons (I was really upset but I'm fine now because my emotions and head have worked themselves out and it really was for the best). From what I understand, he is doing great, is extremely well loved by all his company members and is smiling in every picture. Even though he has only been gone for a short time, though its felt like ages, I have gone through personal changes within myself as well. With him going away, I have found that I can be independent and can still enjoy myself with my other friends, even if he isn't experiencing everything with me. Everything is healing and I don't find myself so absorbed in thinking about the past/future. It's about living in the present, which everybody has been telling me, and truly it does make everything so much easier to handle if you do it one step at a time. At this point, I have made it through the toughest period: the adjustment period. As of this weekend, he receives his phone back (though it isn't permanent until next Thursday) and we can talk much, much more frequently. Honestly, now time is flying by and the start of school is just around the corner and I couldn't be happier. Contrary to what many believe, I actually love school. I'll be a senior in high school this year and I am so ready to move on to the next thing. And also, I know that once school starts, my cross country season officially starts meaning time will pass even faster. November will be here before I know it, which means not only that I'll see my C again in real life, but also that I will be signing with a college and setting up my future. 

So for any of you that read this and are struggling with a family member, significant other, best friend, or sibling moving away, just know that it does get better and it's okay to miss them and grieve a little bit. Just don't let it consume you, think of it as an opportunity! 

NOW for the fun stuff!! 

Rhapsodic: 

**Note: I actually read Strange the Dreamer by Laini Taylor first but my commentary on Rhapsodic by Laura Thalassa is shorter so I'm going to start with it.**

This book was first recommended on some Tumblr accounts that I follow saying that it was very similar to the ACOTAR book trilogy (more ACOMAF than anything else), so I decided to check it out to see if it really was that similar. It actually was similar, but not similar enough that I would have been like "Did this author steal SJM's idea?" For one thing, it is set in present day, which ACOTAR is in a totally made up place, and the main character in Rhapsodic is a siren. Desmond Flynn also doesn't look like Rhys at all (aside from the wings of course). On a smut level Rhapsodic  was much more...in depth. ACOTAR had more I feel but Rhapsodic was much more descriptive. Definitely NSFW. Another thing to mention: THIS BOOK IS ADULT, not YA, which I know there is some controversy over whether or not ACOTAR is considered YA but there definitely were major distinctions, at least that I saw, between the two maturity wise. 

Moving on from the differences. Did I even like the book all that much? 

In short, no sorta kinda? I'm not sure. I know that so many people that read it liked it, but at some parts I was just like wtf....this is too weird for me...but at the same time I wanted to keep reading. So I think it was one of those books for me that didn't make it to my favorite/reread shelf but wasn't the worst book I've ever read. I'm not one for smut reads so it was just kind of a read to read for me. I did find it entertaining most of the time and I liked the whole portal, alternate universe type thing, that was pretty cool. The siren character piece was probably my most favorite part, just because it was different and the ending was just YESSS. 

All in all I would probably give it a 3 out of 5. Pretty typical fantasy romance novel in my opinion. Wasn't the worst, definitely wasn't the best. 

Strange the Dreamer: 

OH. MY. WORD. This book...just...beautiful. That's all I can say to describe it. The words were just so whimsical and the whole story was so imaginative, but also spoke on a philosophical level. I thought it was fantastic. One of the biggest complaints was fast love, but I didn't mind because I felt like it was supposed to have that fairy tale kind of vibe and that is exactly what I got. My biggest complaint was that it did get  a little slow at some points. The story wasn't really based on action, even though most of the characters were described as being a warrior type. There honestly weren't any battles, aside from the one between Lazlo's group and Minya's ghosts, that happened presently, so some parts just kind of dragged on. But for the most part, the book made up for it with its lovely language that kind of just flowed. Many times it reminded me of a poem/epic. 

I loved the diversity of all the characters. My favorites were Minya (just because I felt like she had a lot of depth and things hidden on the inside, not to mention she basically stopped herself from growing, which I think is a metaphor about how holding on to the past makes us unable to move forward into the future) and Lazlo (because I felt the I related having always felt like I'd rather live in my dreams/fantasies than in my life at some points). It just spoke to me on so many levels and I definitely recommend if you like reading in between the lines; there's a lot of that and I might have to actually reread it to catch everything. I honestly could gush on and on about how I loved it so much, blue people and all. GO READ THIS BOOK!!! 

5 out of 5. AMAZING!!!

Welp that concludes this blog post!! Shoot me some comments if you want to discuss and hit up my Tumblr with questions or if you just want to talk @magicalbooksandthings. 

Au revoir, 

NM Black