The writing is STUNNING!
587649
There's writing -- it slays me! I can't handle the beauty and perfection of it and how I want to eat it up, page after page until there is nothing left. This story is so compelling, and surprising, shocking me and delighting me in turns until I don't know how to feel and then I am stunned by what I feel. Shatter Me has to be experienced.
3014698
I am so engrossed in this book.  I don't want it to be over.  The writing is amazing.  So real.  It's a fantastic book, whether you have been following the story for years or if you are just now learning about Chris's incredible journey.
2360763
I love this era of the written word.  The stories are brilliantly written and in a style that the pictures you see in your minds eye are so vivid.  Love it and would recommend it to anyone.
4948570
This is a mesmerizing book. It took me so long to read because I wanted to savor every word, despite the fact that it was very heart-wrenching to read in many areas. The writing is beautiful and everyone who is remotely interested in Cambodia's Khmer Rouge should read this book. I feel like I know every character, you love the people. An amazing story! You will not be disappointed at all!

Won from Goodreads.
4323614
Beautiful iilustrations and intriguingly written!
2181893
I loved every minute of reading this book, and can't stop thinking about it now that I'm done. The exuberant writing about fantastic characters made me see my everyday world in a new, beautiful, bizarre way. What a blast!
191892
So beautifully written......OMG those characters !
4266108
Such lovely, exquisite writing. I found myself re-reading several passages over and over again because they were so beautiful. I also loved how the characters are so human and flawed, fragile and vulnerable. Give this book a chance and I'm sure you won't be disappointed. I've discovered a new favorite author.
2311278
The writing of this beautiful book is in the tradition of the best fantasy authors, lyrical, poetic, deep. I was drawn into the story from the very start. Clive S. Johnson creates a world that I wanted to return to over and again, eagerly stealing moments from my busy day to immerse myself once more. There many layers of meaning, and the plot builds step by step, enfolding and engrossing the reader. The whole work is a rich and many coloured example of story telling at its best.

I don't want to go into a blow by blow account of the plot and characters as the book is too subtle to precis in that way. Just read the look inside on amazon and you will have a flavour of what is on offer. I loved it!
4423680
So normally, when I read a book I love, there's probably 5 or 6 lines I highlight as stunning. With WICKED LIKE A WILDIFRE, it was closer to 50.

Seriously, the prose in this book is UNREAL. In some sort of dazzling life-imitates-art twist, Lana Popovic has written a book about women gifted with the ability to create works of art that are impossibly, sensually, transcendentally beautiful, and done so with a book so gorgeously written it makes me strongly suspect the premise is non-fiction. Whether it's the stunning magical set-pieces that blend fractal iconography with gorgeous evocative detail, or the nuanced, captivating depictions of daily life in Montenegro, page after page of this book explodes with amazing writing.

And that's just the prose itself. The characterization is also remarkable, at once unflinchingly honest and touchingly compelling; the supporting cast of semi-bohemian young people on the cusp of adulthood felt utterly real, and the central sisterly relationship was one of the best I've read, a tangled complicated web of jealousy, concern, and at its core, love. The plot is engrossing too, with some genuinely surprising twists and a totally badass ending setpiece.

Also? I need book two. I need it, like, NOW.
4613070
This novel (which is more of a self-admitted autobiography) is AMAZING. The writing is so so SO gorgeous. Even in translation, this prose left me stunned, inspired, awoken. Such a short read, and every word is perfection. Poetry on every page.
359773
The writing in this book moves like an animation flip book with image upon image following one after another.  It is quick, spare, and breathtaking.  It makes you vividly picture the characters and pulls you into their wild, creative journey.  Well worth the time.
2102288
The photos are astonishingly beautiful. Every poem and journal entry show the writers emotion and makes you feel it to. Such a beautifully written, inspired and wonderful collection. Every lover of literature should read this!
2815200
I started this reading one night and finished it the next day. I just couldn't stop reading it. The writing is astonishingly beautiful; the story riveting and real and sad. What a gorgeous book!
566000
The language and imagery absolutely compel the reader to follow through to the end. What strikes me most, though, is how the writing makes room for the reader to imagine the action included in and written between the lines. In that way, my experience was extremely vivid. There is so much in this story; so much said, and so much left unsaid, with honesty and vulnerability. I cannot do anything but marvel and stand in awe that the writer has emerged from his very real life to write this memoir.

I understand that a requiem is a mass sung for the dead; and there is a character in this book that dies --- thankfully. But I'm a sucker for redemption: the protagonist in this story is a character that one can't help but adore and hope the best for; and though the narrative hides him periodically, we know he's there and we cannot be happier that he emerges more powerfully than at the beginning.

Congratulations, Mr. Espinoza, on your memoir AND your redemption. Very powerful stuff. Thank you.
4568690
This book and the preceding two in the trilogy are fabulous. The writing is just beautiful - lovely prose and a pleasure to read. The plot moved along quickly, giving us insights into the complex emotional worlds of the main characters. The richness of detail adds to the story - I almost felt I was back in Medieval England. Sandra Worth states that these books took her 10 years to write, and I can well believe it, they are beautifully crafted works. I read all three books one after the other and didn't want the story to end...
4136411
Riveting! Engaging characters, intricate plot, and beautiful writing.