Piranesi

Piranesi by Susanna Clarke — ⭐️ 1.5/5I really wanted to like this book. I went into it completely blind, and the premise and atmosphere initially had me very intrigued. The labyrinth is easily the strongest part of the book—it’s strange, beautiful, eerie, and genuinely memorable.Unfortunately, that wasn't enough to carry the story for me.The biggest problem was the pacing. It took way too long for the story to actually start unraveling, and for a large portion of the book I felt like I was waiting for something to happen. I kept telling myself that the payoff was coming, but by the time the explanations finally started coming together, I wasn't invested enough anymore.I did enjoy trying to piece together what was happening and making theories along the way, but I found myself more interested in figuring out the mystery than actually enjoying the story. There were moments where I was genuinely intrigued, but there were also a lot of moments where I was just… bored.I also think the writing style contributed to that for me. I can appreciate what Clarke was doing with Piranesi's voice and the journal format, but it created an even slower reading experience than I wanted.Overall, Piranesi had a fascinating concept and an incredible atmosphere, but the execution just wasn't for me. I didn't hate it, and I can absolutely see why other readers love it, but I spent too much of the book waiting for it to become the story I thought it was going to be.1.5/5 ⭐️Beautiful concept. Incredible atmosphere. Unfortunately, I needed the actual story to give me more. And that ending??? Absolutely not.

This was a reread for me. This book is a slow start, but as it builds, it hooks you in and tears you apart. It's mysterious, tragic, and otherworldly all at once. Really makes you think.

Nothing I could've expected would've been close to what it was!Yet, it was everything I needed, and ever will need!I'll never be able to forget this book and its characters!