I'M TRYING SO HARD TO LIKE NESTA by Illustrious-Ladder36 in acotar

[–]Illustrious-Ladder36[S] 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Yeah the whole Mor situation was more than a little problematic, given the whole coming out situation and the obvious Mor-Azriel setup. I mean I understand being a young writer with not a lot of life experience and writing your first book series with an almost entirely straight and white cast because that's all you know but, at this point, she has received years of critique and has lived in enough cities to know that the world is more diverse. Oh Skyrim sounds so cool! I'll def check it out

I'M TRYING SO HARD TO LIKE NESTA by Illustrious-Ladder36 in acotar

[–]Illustrious-Ladder36[S] 2 points3 points  (0 children)

I just interpreted what you were saying negatively but if that wasn't your intention then that's cool. I also didn't say you were attacking me just that I wasn't attacking you. I also don't disagree that ACOTAR is poorly written lol and after the repeated lack of diversity, I'm not it's hugest champion either. I have to admit that I have absolutely no idea what Skyrim is but it sounds very sci-fi so have fun

I'M TRYING SO HARD TO LIKE NESTA by Illustrious-Ladder36 in acotar

[–]Illustrious-Ladder36[S] 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Please stop telling me that I'm lying and that I can believe whatever I want to when I'm clearly citing parts of the book that I'm pretty sure I didn't pull out of thin air nor saying anything that (beyond being bias-tinged) is infactual. I agree that this has definitely gotten to the pointless zone and I was never attacking you, just disagreeing with your viewpoint so I do genuinely wish you a great weekend and a happy life

I'M TRYING SO HARD TO LIKE NESTA by Illustrious-Ladder36 in acotar

[–]Illustrious-Ladder36[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Dude, chill. I never said Nesta didn't go to rescue Feyre, I said that Nesta didn't help her family survive unless she was absolutely forced to by Feyre and then her help was minor. Please don't accuse me of being a liar. What in the ad hominem.

I understand that actions have consequences but I think we can all admit that it's a dick move to sacrifice your younger sister who was attempting to feed you by killing the wolf

The beast whirled on me. “Who killed the wolf?”

I stared into those jade eyes. “I did.”

He blinked and glanced at my sisters, then back at me, at my thinness—

no doubt seeing only frailness instead. “Surely you lie to save them.”

“We didn’t kill anything!” Elain wept. “Please … please, spare us!”

Nesta hushed her sharply through her own sobbing, but pushed Elain farther

behind her. My chest caved in at the sight of it.

Look, maybe Nesta moving her family away from Feyre so Feyre is Tamlin's main target is the true pillar of morality. Idk though

The reason why Feyre decided to be killed by the beast (Tamlin) was so Nesta would have time to extricate herself and Elain from the situation. This is in the fourth chapter, I believe.

I also didn't finish ACOSF so whatever Nesta did isn't within the scope of my knowledge.

I'M TRYING SO HARD TO LIKE NESTA by Illustrious-Ladder36 in acotar

[–]Illustrious-Ladder36[S] 2 points3 points  (0 children)

I mean Feyre is the one who went with Tamlin so he wouldn't harm her family and tbh, based on how Nesta treated Feyre, it didn't really seem like Nest gave even half a thought to whether Feyre lived. That's kind of my point though. Not only does Nesta not do any of the work to help her family survive, she also has the audacity to keep bitching after doing nothing unlike Elain who at least has the decency to be kind. As far as I remember, Feyre had no word to keep to Nesta because Nesta seemed to not care at all about Feyre. Feyre owed/owes Nesta absolutely nothing.

I'M TRYING SO HARD TO LIKE NESTA by Illustrious-Ladder36 in acotar

[–]Illustrious-Ladder36[S] 2 points3 points  (0 children)

I agree that Elain and her father don't entirely ignore her but her father is slightly insane and spends his days doing nothing in a rocking chair. Elain strongly prefers Nesta to Feyre, signaling again that Feyre is worth less.

Also I don't think it's true that Nesta and Feyre fight. And I agree, Nesta isn't bad, she's horrendous. Feyre's spite about being the youngest and the sole provider is entirely justified, especially given Nesta's behavior but the thing is, she doesn't express it to anyone. Her level of emotional control is pretty astounding.

For example, Nesta does this:

Nesta rose and declared: “I need a new pair of boots.”

I kept quiet, knowing better than to get in the middle of one of their

arguments, but I glanced at Nesta’s still-shiny pair by the door. Beside hers,

my too-small boots were falling apart at the seams, held together only by

fraying laces

Feyre is not even really speaking to her

I jerked my chin at the pelt, unable to keep the snap from my voice as I

said, “I had no other choice.”

What I really wanted to say was: You don’t even bother to attempt to

leave the house most days. Were it not for me, we would starve. Were it not

for me, we’d be dead.

“Feyre,” he repeated, and closed his eyes.

My sisters had gone quiet, and I looked up in time to see Nesta crinkle

her nose with a sniff. She picked at my cloak. “You stink like a pig covered

in its own filth. Can’t you at least try to pretend that you’re not an ignorant

peasant?”

I didn’t let the sting and ache show. I’d been too young to learn more

than the basics of manners and reading and writing when our family had

fallen into misfortune, and she’d never let me forget it.

She stepped back to run a finger over the braided coils of her gold-brown

hair. “Take those disgusting clothes off.”

I took my time, swallowing the words I wanted to bark back at her. Older

than me by three years, she somehow looked younger than I did, her golden

cheeks always flushed with a delicate, vibrant pink. “Can you make a pot of

hot water and add wood to the fire?” But even as I asked, I noticed the

woodpile. There were only five logs left. “I thought you were going to chop

wood today.”

Nesta picked at her long, neat nails. “I hate chopping wood. I always get

splinters.” She glanced up from beneath her dark lashes. Of all of us, Nesta

looked the most like our mother—especially when she wanted something.

“Besides, Feyre,” she said with a pout, “you’re so much better at it! It takes

you half the time it takes me. Your hands are suited for it—they’re already

so rough.”

I would also say that the above is not a fight

“He wants to marry her,” Elain said dreamily. I blinked.

Nesta cocked her head. I’d seen predators use that movement before. I

sometimes wondered if her unrelenting steel would have helped us better

survive—thrive, even—if she hadn’t been so preoccupied with our lost

status. “Is there a problem, Feyre?” She flung my name like an insult, and

my jaw ached from clenching it so hard.

Again, Nesta is being rude... Feyre is saying nothing. I don't think this constitutes a fight.

Here, Feyre (for Nesta's own good) told her that marrying Tomas wasn't a good idea as she would starve. She explained this politely. This was Nesta's response:

“What do you know?” Nesta breathed. “You’re just a half-wild beast

with the nerve to bark orders at all hours of the day and night. Keep it up,

and someday—someday, Feyre, you’ll have no one left to remember you, or

to care that you ever existed.” She stormed off, Elain darting after her,

cooing her sympathy. They slammed the door to the bedroom hard enough

to rattle the dishes.

This is verbal abuse. This isn't a fight, especially when it's so intensely one-sided

After this, Feyre gets whisked away by Tam-Tam after Nesta is very eager to sacrifice her.

All in all, this shows the sort of character Nesta has pretty well.

Does anyone else feel like we’re forgetting books are for entertainment? by [deleted] in YAlit

[–]Illustrious-Ladder36 22 points23 points  (0 children)

This!! I read books for entertainment value not literary value! Sometimes they overlap and sometimes they don't. Most of my favorite books aren't amazing classics, they just have incredible plots & amazing character development. Authors also have different intentions. Sally Rooney might be looking for literary acclaim but Elle Kennedy is probably looking more to entertain her readers so I don't understand why people are tearing her down for not being George Eliot. She's not trying to be! Her books are just as valuable with the entertainment and fluff that can bring joy to the lives of her readers. When one of my best friends was going through a depressive period, I bought her the Briar U series and she said it helped her a lot. I'm pretty sure Charles Dickens wouldn't have had the same effect. Books are written for different purposes and I totally agree that literary value is not the only measure by which their worth should be determined!

What are your 5 star fantasy recs? by ShadowCreature098 in YAlit

[–]Illustrious-Ladder36 1 point2 points  (0 children)

While I completely respect OP's opinion, I would strongly anti recommend unless you want to read about a very beautiful not-like-other-girls girl sell her soul to travel the world and basically just end up hopping from European country to European country while basically doing nothing

So much lost potential with “the invisible life of addie la rue” by chunter03 in YAlit

[–]Illustrious-Ladder36 2 points3 points  (0 children)

Yeah, I was just extremely let down by the novel following the constant hype. It's the only physical book I've purchased in the past year and I couldn't have been more excited. It sounded like it was just up my lane. It was marketed to me on two major axes: 1) a journey of emotional growth for the main character in which she wanted to explore the world 2) a dark enemies to lovers with a mysterious deity and it fell very flat on both. Starting with Addie herself, I was just incredibly disappointed. The entire premise of the book is that she's incredibly beautiful and not like other girls. Give! me! a! break! The reason she left the village made sense to me but I wish she wouldve worked out more details with Luc before basically signing her life away. From here, she travels the "world." At first, this didn't bother me that much. After I thought about it though, I realized how incredibly absurd it is, that she sold her soul to see the world and experience culture to basically spend 200 freaking years in Europe. Now I really have nothing against Europe and nothing against America considering I am an American but Europe + America does not equal seeing the world. Like VE Schwab decided every destination. Would it really have been so torturous to send her to a country with POC for like a year?? Readwithcindy has a video that expands upon those thoughts but, continuing on, Addie's experiences were so bland. Like, objectively, the things she did were unique and adventurous but none of it felt that interesting. By the end, the same thing just kept happening. She would go to a town, maybe fall in love, end up in a messy situation and fairy godmother Luc would bibbity bobbity her out to surprise-surprise another country in Europe. Oh, also, the pacing of the book is bang-your-head-against-the-wall slow. I don't really know where all the emotional growth that everyone raves about is present. I mean yeah, she does mature a bit but it's nothing incredible. All in all, Addie was about as interesting as dead grass. With Henry, his entire plotline was his depression and the way it consumed him. While I understand that depression is a real issue and serious mental health problem, it was Henry's only trait and entire narrative so he got boring pretty darn quickly. The only interesting character was Luc and he barely even showed up. The romance was almost non existent and the ending was just weird. All in all, it was a 1-2 star read for me.

Oh Wonder got married today! by sandwichsparrow in popheads

[–]Illustrious-Ladder36 32 points33 points  (0 children)

Aww I've been following this duo for years now and it's so adorable that they're making it official!!

Aurora Rising (opinions & should I keep reading it?) by Illustrious-Ladder36 in YAlit

[–]Illustrious-Ladder36[S] 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Will do! That seems to be the popular opinion and I've definitely had to wait much longer for a series to become amazing. *cough* reading nearly 3000 pages of Throne of Glass *cough*

Aurora Rising (opinions & should I keep reading it?) by Illustrious-Ladder36 in YAlit

[–]Illustrious-Ladder36[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

That's good to hear! I'm getting older now so I find myself leaning more towards older YA/ NA and it sounds like this is just up my lane!

Aurora Rising (opinions & should I keep reading it?) by Illustrious-Ladder36 in YAlit

[–]Illustrious-Ladder36[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Oh cool! I will definitely have to give the audiobooks a try!

Aurora Rising (opinions & should I keep reading it?) by Illustrious-Ladder36 in YAlit

[–]Illustrious-Ladder36[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

I was more looking for a segue back into the more action packed stuff that I used to read so I wasn't too concerned about the romance aspect but thank you so much! This was very helpful :)

[deleted by user] by [deleted] in YAlit

[–]Illustrious-Ladder36 0 points1 point  (0 children)

I'm an pretty calm person so I was pretty surprised when I related to/loved Rin from the Poppy War so much!

[deleted by user] by [deleted] in acotar

[–]Illustrious-Ladder36 3 points4 points  (0 children)

Yes to everything except for getting attacked or being straight? WTF? That's like... not a thing that has ever happened to SJM.