i have a lot of *critical* opinions so let's talk books // march reading wrap up

[@theresam.1121]

I get why people dislike the truly devious series but the whole series is just so fun and addictive. I read each book in a day or two. It’s my guilty pleasure series 100%.

[@adeleseeboth3137]

Yesssssss

[@yusuhani]

yep!

[@palomasy8183]

I loved it!!!

[@JayGTheAwkwardBookworm]

I am in love with your shirt wow

[@TheBookLeo]

thank you! the little secret it that it's actually a dress that I wrapped around!

[@ananyapandey4876]

Me too!💕

[@Emma-sj6wp]

@@TheBookLeo that's smart😂 I found your channel a couple days ago and you have an impeccable fashion taste👌

[@keyo3945]

yesss 😍 I was about to comment on that!

[@ericabolling8362]

I agree 100% on your opinion of Truly Devious. David is literally the worst but then I also wanted them to get together 🤣🤣. But for real he angered me so much.

[@TheBookLeo]

gosh he was sooo annoying but also i was like *now kiss*

[@samiyapahwa950]

i mean....i kind of agree....david of an absolute nightmare to read sometimes. but...the times he was his best self....i really wanted him to be with stevie.. lol

[@zeynepc2579]

Do they end up together??

[@Elena-tz9ev]

@@zeynepc2579 yes they do!

[@zeynepc2579]

@@Elena-tz9ev thanksss

[@stephaniecurtiss6804]

I read the first book in the Truly Devious series and was so annoyed with not having any kind of resolution that I decided not to continue with the series. Definitely agree with what you were saying about the characters too.

[@mrcrepslay6464]

Am the only one that absolutely loved David like I found him so funny in the first book the second book he became a bit more arrogant but it added a bit of personality to the fact that his mental health was plummeting

[@Elena-tz9ev]

Yasssss

[@kathhqq7]

David was the highlight of the books by far. He actually has flaws and him being a douchebag is fun.

[@iamunicorn340]

I hated David *so much* when I was reading Truly Devious. I actually looked back to my notes while reading the first book and I solved the Ellingham case too?! I literally forgot my theories hahaha. I never expected the conclusion in the last book to be the person. These stereotypical characters were actually everything, I still love Nate, there's no character development, but I just can't stop loving them. Just like you said, it's addictive. At some point I started hating David so much, that I started shipping Stevie with hunter, even though I knew David x Stevie was endgame. The Truly Devious trilogy got me into murder mystery and boarding schools. I think it was a nice trilogy, it could be one book, I agree on that, but I found the cliffhangers at the end of the first two books pretty good hahha😂 I really am talking too much, I kinda love the series with my whole heart

[@Emma-sj6wp]

Mood! We read the first book for my school book club and I voiced that David was a suspicious character and I didn't like him but I felt like I didn't have enough evidence to back it up(I think I called him 'Slimy' lol). I haven't read the last book yet so idk I he gets better but I hate his disheveled guts.

[@ishapurohit8597]

Lmao I had a weird theory about Francis Crane being Ellie's grandmother or something lol

[@_curtis]

I liked truly devious but the characters felt so FLAT and there seemed to be like 0 character development, and the ‘cliffhanger’ on the first book wasn’t even a cliffhanger, it just cut off out of nowhere imo Also Vi added virtually nothing to the story and didn’t even live in the house so what was the purpose of their character?

[@raymondhodgson1190]

Good point about Winston in 1984. However I think the main reason why he was able to resist was because his job in the government was rewriting history to match the party narrative, so he could more easily see the lies because he put them out there. That's also where Julia comes in as well because she works in a similar department.

[@TheBookLeo]

good point, makes sense!

[@NeilBruder]

This year I read a lot more than I have done in previous years. Partly because of COVID but also because I got into audiobooks that I’ve borrowed from the library! It’s great :)

[@rubybailey2952]

I just finished the whole Truly Devious series, and I agree with you on David. Even when reading it, I was like "if they end up together in the end, i'm gonna throw this book across the room" and they did, so you could only imagine what I did next. But aside from that, I actually like the series. It was fast-paced (except the first one) and captivating. It was definitely a page-turner for me. I didn't love the first book, I thought the characters were not likeable and cringe, but I love the past pov from the book. I literally cried because of Albert's story and when I found out that he died without possibly ever seeing his family again, I put it upon myself to finish the entire series and that was the only reason that I actually did. I wanted to see justice for Albert, and I got them, and now I'm happy. My favourite is definitely the second book though. I think the characters have sort of become more likeable to me then (except David, who just got worse over time). I also become more sympathetic of Stevie Bell. The ending might be anti-climatic to some people but I think it's okay. It's not like a "Wow" moment or anything, but it was not disappointing too. There were a lot of references to agatha cristie and hercule poirot in the book, and the fact that the unraveling of the ending felt so much like an agatha-and-hercule-sort-of-thing felt just right. All in all, the book was good enough for me

[@mastredia]

“Us” by Zamyatin is also dystopian legend, published even before. Really-really recommend.

[@benevolentink3552]

Haha I commented that too. BNW and 1984 were based on We and its upsetting that he doesnt get as much credit.

[@GothicGhost17]

I literally just read the truly devious series in like the past 2 days. It was fun, but just ok (sometimes so cringe). I guessed the culprit of the Ellingham kidnapping in the first book and then the final reveal at the end of the third book was...bad?? Also David made me so angry but he was also hot so 🤷‍♀️

[@viralthroughbooks]

***spoilers***** Omg.... I read all 3 books in like 2 days. And i too sus. The man behind it all in 1st book. And i also think that ending could be great if Alice was alive.... Like somewhere... She should be alive and it was so much worth it. And David was being just pure arrogant at the last. It was so unnecessary...

[@hannanuurtsaniya1966]

I actually enjoyed that the characters remained their stereotypical selves throughout the series! I dont think this applies to all kinds of books bcs character development is important, but i didnt mind it in the Truly Devious series bcs it was, obviously, mystery driven. I think the charavters needed to remain their stereotypical quirky selves to solve the cases. And i didnt mind that each book ended with more twists and never figuring out the mystery. There were many elements that needed to be added to intensify the mystery and solving it. It was fun. You also get extra explanations and insights on various events (i.e. when Ellingham died in the boat explosion with the FBI dude)

[@palomasy8183]

NO I loved David so much!!!

[@anddestroyit2654]

I quite enjoyed the characters in TD and was excited to see how they grew over the series but I guess I’ll have to lower my expectations yikes!

[@null6955]

i hated truly devious so much. i listened to the audiobooks one after the other so i didn't really notice the first book not having any plot. but then i really couldn't get into the second one and i kept thinking, why did they separate these two books at all? and then by the end of the series i felt scammed. SPOILERS i hate how the reveal of who was behind the deaths on campus made no sense. like why would he think a kid claiming the money would give him any of it? how would he have gotten the money if it was under someone else's name? why would the school be okay with an adult stranger staying in a house with highschoolers? why did the rich guy stipulate that none of the staff were allowed to claim the money? if he was so desperate for information why would he care?

[@meenashinymathew1813]

Your description of truly devious series is sooo on point!!! My thoughts exactly lol!!!

[@HRAleader]

We by yevgeny zamyatin was arguably the first Dystopian novel as its was written in 1921. It clearly inspired Orwell, its pretty good but quite weak in comparison to other Dytopian novels.

[@benevolentink3552]

Orwell credited Zamyatin in 1984 for his ideas and although Huxley didn't know about the book, he knew the ideas within the books and wrote BNW

[@freyaelliott3120]

I studied 1984 for my a levels and everyone in my class agreed that 1984 was very very sexist. As much as a do think 1984 is brilliant, I much prefer the other dystopian book I studied which is The Handmaid’s Tale by Margaret Atwood, which she deliberately wrote as a response to the absence of the female voice in 1984. I also love Fahrenheit 451 by Ray Bradbury!

[@TheBookLeo]

oof i really need to read the handmaid's tale

[@raydea2247]

you have the divine mission to upload a video every single day in this quarantine here's your Pokemon and go good luck

[@MayCho]

as a theatre junkie, i really like the sound of if we were villians (except for maybe the length). I love Adichie's essays!

[@BookmarkChronicles]

I just finished Truly Devious and I had to stop there lol I still had so many questions and none of them had been answered by the end

[@storiesofwonderland8900]

I'm currently reading If We Were Villains and really enjoying it so far!

[@nr937]

I luv her review on Truly Devious damnn

[@amytang6915]

I don’t know what to do cos I’ve been planning a novel since 2016, then Truly Devious comes out and it’s so similar it’s really broken my spirit. But honestly from what I’ve heard my plot is more detailed in terms of exposition, mystery and characters lol

[@ananyapandey4876]

I have every book you mentioned in my tbr😅 (I've read some too). But now I'm scared to read Truly Devious series (because I'm more into character stuff:)

[@oliviabennett3665]

you should check out We by Yevgeny Zamyatin!! it was published in 1921 i think and is similar to 1984 but with the more mechanical aspects of brave new world i guess? that’s a bad description but i highly recommend

[@benevolentink3552]

I commented that too. It said in the opening of it that BNW and 1984 were based on We but Zamyatin was never given as much credit.

[@cleaclara5661]

i really like how fleshed out your opinions are! love your videos❣

[@booksforsarah2197]

Omg watching you rant about the Truly Devious series is a TIME! I haven’t read it myself and not sure that I will but I kind of love how angry and excited you get about it at the same time haha I still have to read 1984, I’ve heard very mixed opinions on it so it was good to hear your thoughts on it

[@annabelrianne693]

Haha I get how you feel about Truly Devious! But actually, I didn't like the characters either and didn't really feel much for the boarding school (even though that's a trope I usually gobble up). So I stopped reading after the first one! I read the Selection series this month and have similar thoughts on that series as you have on the Truly Devious series. It was bad in some ways, but I still had a good time! And the second book should just be cut out and the trilogy should be combined into 1 600 (or less) page book, which is the length of the first and third combined, approximately. I also read slow and don't take a lot of time reading, but I actually read 6 whole books this month! That's one advantage of the isolation at the moment ;) My favorite one was Furyborn by Claire Legrand, that was everything I was looking for! Fantastical, escapeism, female protagonists who are badass and some wonderful plottwists and an amazing world. I can recommend that one!

[@megancastle5573]

I also just read the truly devious series! I don't think I've ever read a mystery series so willingly throw away it's mystery plotlines to focus on the most irredeemable, smarmy love interest. I'm baffled that these books don't seem to have any awareness of just how emotionally manipulative, dismissive, uncharmingly arrogant and gaslight-y he is.

[@massivereader]

Sound like you would like the books of Suzette Haden Elgin. She was a linguist and feminist that wrote self-help books (The Gentle Art of Verbal Self-Defense) and dystopian Science Fiction (Native Tongue trilogy). I ran across her work back in the eighties. As far as I can tell, Margret Atwood lifted a good part of her work as inspiration for 'The Handmaids Tale" four years later.

[@benevolentink3552]

1984 and Brave New World were inspired by the book 'We' by Yevgeny Zamyatin and the reason that it's not heard about is it was banned in Russia (his homeland). Once you've read BNW and 1984 and read We, you can see how much Orwell and Huxley take from it.

[@saharbouzidi2]

I'm currently reading Kafka on the shore by murakami I'm at 90% and I still have no idea what the F is going on. PS : great video !!

[@neleguinee3298]

I read it a couple months ago and had the exact same feeling about it hahaha

[@alejandravelazquez3452]

I think for me, when I read 1984 it seemed that everyone was also feeling the same desperation and desire to 'break away' from the government as Wilson, but (just like with Wilson), many didn't realize that others felt this way because the government had made people think that they all were avid supporters. Also! Would you consider the "Truly Devious" series to be worth reading if I only read the first book? Or does it end in a cliffhanger? I'm too entranced by the plot idea but you raise valid points against it 🤣🤣

[@ViktoriaReads]

I can see you have a good taste in pillows, and I stan 😍

[@crystalrose8787]

Hi! I love ur channel. I also love books a lot too. Have u finished the Priory of the Orange tree? I would really love to read it

[@TheBookLeo]

haven't finished it yet, unfortunately!

[@crystalrose8787]

That's ok I'm sure it's an interesting read 😁

[@mikaelab7485]

I’m currently reading Invisible Women, which is a nonfiction about sexist data bias and I really think you would enjoy it!

[@sarahsperusals]

i can never decide if i like brave new world or 1984 more

[@TheBookLeo]

i think they just give such difference kinds of social critique it's hard to compare them

[@TheBookishMom]

I have been wanting to pick up If we Were Villains. It seems like an interesting concept and I do love Shakespeare. I just picked up TRuly DEvious too, lol I kind of sich I got them all the binge them now though because I don't like that the first book doesn't wrap up the plot enough haha.

[@pagesandpeaches]

your outfit is soooo cute ❤️ i’m reading truly devious this month and i’m very excited but apprehensive to read it 😬 wonderful video!!

[@TheBookLeo]

thank youuu. oohhh I hope you like it! I do think it's very enjoyable!

[@getyourbookstogether543]

Great video, it was interesting to listen to your opinions about books you read. Outspoken interested me, I think I can use some tips for the voice. But, yeah, if you work with sexists, it doesn't matter how loud you speak, they will still try to silence you. Among the dystopian novels there is also "Kallocain" by Karin Boye, first published in 1940. I haven't read it yet, but I recently got a copy, so I will probably will read it this year.

[@annaekholm6288]

Yes to Kallocain, great dystopian!

[@abireadz]

I'm in love with your whole outfit it's so cute

[@nadiaabdulrahman_]

The premise of truly devious makes me think of the game danganronpa SO much, the characters as well, the addiction, honestly, honestly, sounds so similar

[@leoraaileen]

Die juuuuuuurkkkk! En omg je hebt serieus heel truly devious gelezen hahaha

[@yaopeng1604]

"We" a dystopian novel by Yevgeni Zamyatin (1924) was actually written even earlier. It had great influence over both 1984 and A Brave New World. It is an interesting read, you should check it out if you want to compare.

[@ChV342]

About your critique on 1984. I think it's more beneficial to read and critique a book in the context of when and where it was written, to see a book in its context, not our context, not what is relevant right now. But I might be wrong. Anyway. Thank you for your recommendations

[@TheBookLeo]

why not both ;)

[@glowmess6349]

I think truly devious had a lot of potential because again i love the whole secluded gothic school and a murder there *chefs kiss* butt this was probably the hardest book to get into because of how laggy it was and the only twists that happened between 10 chapters were the most predictable foreseeable points . At some point the only reason i continued to read was just so i could hate it after finding out it had the worst climax possible and what can i say , it didn't disappoint. This prolly seems dry to me because the last murder mystery trilogy i read was agggtm amd it was showsetter

[@Emma-sj6wp]

I love a Wrinkle in Time! It was one of the first book I remember my Mom reading to me. She told me she had a cat name Charles Wallace😂

[@TheBookLeo]

omg that's so cute!

[@seeCHOsmile]

A Wrinkle in Time is a series that I've heard about since my childhood but never had a chance to pick it up.. might give it a go since it sounds so bizarre and weird haha!

[@mayakane9978]

Hello, I don't know why I'm saying this here but I would recommend the book series Lockwood and Co for anyone who's lookin for one because I don't think its as talked about as it should be.

[@TheBookLeo]

I LOVE THOSE BOOKS really more people should mention them

[@koritsi2142]

I first read 1984 in year 11 and have reread it several times since, it's so good! Also, your shirt is gorgeous, would you mind sharing where you got it? :)

[@aless.andra9620]

Have you read "Animal Farm" by Orwell? I happened to read "1984", "Animal Farm", "Fahrenheit 451" (the weakest one for me) and "Brave New World" all within a year, and I think BNW had the strongest intellectual impact on me, while Animal Farm had the strongest emotional impact. 1984 was an amazing read (I gave it 5 stars), but I do agree with your criticism- Winston is "special" without it being explained why.

[@TheBookLeo]

i also read animal farm a while ago, but I think I enjoyed 1984 a bit more! I have also been reading most of these dystopians whithin a year and it's fun to compare them!

[@kathhqq7]

BNW and Animal Farm are worse than 1984. Both are written in such a dull, dry way. Animal Farm has an excuse, being an allegory, there’s not much you can do to make the prose or characters distinct considering those attributes were already determined from the conceptualization of the novel. BNW literally reads like 14yo boy’s first draft with the most heavy-handed, contrived characters. The guy just can’t write.

[@stanfremau7825]

welk platform gebruik je voor al de audiobooks? gebruik je audible of storytel? want als je ze apart zou kopen, zijn de prijzen echtt up there

[@TheBookLeo]

ik gebruik scribd en storytel (voor beide free trials)

[@hellohello-oq4nd]

I think you will like “Wilder Girls”

[@quiteallwrite7566]

I have been meaning to read truly devious for a while now

[@readbymarta2781]

i lowkey agree with truly devious

[@leilacarvalho4404]

I share all your thoughts about Truly Devious, except that I hated the boarding school, it was what made me dislike the first book. It was so farfetched, like in whar world would a school like that exist? It doesn't even have an application form, you just write them a letter asking to study there?? And it also doesn't make ANY MONEY since tuition is free, so how rich would the founder have to be to keep that MASSIVE property for so long? The characters being all "not like other kids" was very annoying to me as well. That said, I thought of DNFing the series after the first book, but decided to keep at it and ended up extremely addicted. I finished reading it last month and even though I found the story very mediocre and the murder mystery itself terrible (what was that revelation?? And the story behind "Truly Devious"? I was absolutely disappointed), I still find myself thinking about the books surprisingly often 😂

[@arjinacar9669]

I think the reason of sexism in the book was about womens place in less improved countries. Most of the time women are uneducated and do what they are told in these places especially in the vulnerable areas. And this is kind of a part of the broken system. So maybe George Orwell wanted to point out that. I dont know it is just an opinion.

[@TheBookLeo]

ohh that's an interesting take!

[@believeme6707]

Listen and SUBSCRIBE to more audiobooks here kzbin.info/www/bejne/r6LFiXewmK2Nj80

[@chrysoula5226]

First of all, I am incredibly glad I was recommended your channel been binging the videos for days. Now about 1984 (my favourite book lol) I believe Winston wasn't the only one who could see through the government lies. Many such people existed but they were tortured out of it. You never new what each person thought because everyone was forced to excell in the art of hiding their emotions, even from themselves, to survive. We even see Winston's colleague who was portrayed as one of the most loyal ones being caught at the end for talking in his sleep against the regime. So, I think we only learn about Winston because we are reading his perspective. Also, probably because of Julia and her actions I didn't really think the book was sexist. I more so view those comments as an explanation of what the regime forced women to do and the extra effect on them because they can have children. Then again I could easily have glanced over or misinterpreted to my liking some sexist comments because of the overall theme of oppression going on despite gender. Btw I am correctly reading In Order To Live and I am so shocked with the similarities I find to 1984. Could even write an essay about them and I kinda plan to lol. I think you have read that one too so what do you think? Anyways, love your channel and videos I could listen to you talk about books for hours.❤

[@xWesternAcid]

Julia LITERALLY said she is "not like other girls" because she's smart and "other women are stupid and naive". The book could have made the point that the conception about women being stupid is wrong when they introduced Julia but instead author decided to state that Julia is special and SPECIFICALLY not like other women in order to make a contrast. And thinking the book is not sexist despite having pages and pages of belittling and downgrading women is called internalised misogyny and is really sad to see in current times.

[@chrysoula5226]

@@xWesternAcid I probably didn't pay much attention to the part where it was stated Julia was an exception. However, all the pages you say are belittling women I saw as an explanation of what the regime had done to them. So many men were portrayed as clueless and completely brainwashed. Then again, Orwell probably was sexist, taking into account the time period he lived in. But interpreting this book today what stands out isn't it being sexist. It may be but Orwell's other ideas overshadow it as they could be the cause of the remarks.

[@haleciar]

I think Brave New World is better than 1984 as well ! It's so much more haunting and stays with you well after you put it down. Sorry Orwell

[@blueberrymoon549]

help a sis out and drop ur bombass highlighter damn gurl

[@TheBookLeo]

it's a frosted eyeshadow that I use as a highlighter! (from the morphe 35O palette)

[@akashhingu7617]

about 1984 by G O .. what did you expect from book published in 1949 when twenty years ago women were not even allowed to vote.. it's like being mad at your grand parents because they are racist.. that opinion would be more valuable if it was written some where in near past..

[@TheBookLeo]

that's why i said in the video that i would be willing to forgive it since it's written before the 60's :)

[@akashhingu7617]

@@TheBookLeo oh good : )I must've missed it..And thank god you are willing to forgive it..I am sure it will be pleased to receive forgiveness from thou her bookiness the Leo herself.

[@stevelawrence8945]

Are you still in Isolation........?

[@TheBookLeo]

social distancing, yes!

[@verygood6625]

I think you should read the same book twice, since you will get a different perspective of the book and altogether a different understanding. I don't see the wisdom of the books you read in your words. I think you are not really grasping - you are a wonderful person.

[@tomatosoup1304]

No cause David annoyed me to an extreme amount. He was too impulsive and arranging plus she mentions that he doesn’t bathe and find him ‘hot’?? Then there was the scene where he made out with her when she was emotionally vulnerable. He just reminds me of every straight teenage boy. That being said I really enjoyed the mystery and was wracking my head figuring it out. I didn’t mind having another book for it but I don’t understand why there’s four books. (Also Nate is my baby)

[@kathhqq7]

The reason David angers people is because they are tasteless. They self-insert into Stevie’s character and thus think of David as an actual love-interest for themselves (LOL), or, they don’t tolerate characters with actual flaws and can only tolerate me-quirky-relatables with no real personality attributes. Both of those indicate no taste in character writing. Basically, people who only tolerate “likable” characters in fiction. This is why 95% YA is trash.

[@stevelawrence8945]

Are you still in Isolation........?