The Atlas Six is a very bad YA fantasy novel by Olivie Blake, and you need to read it. Here's why... ***** Support me on Patreon: / booksandbao More YA fantasy books: booksandbao.com/must-read-ya-...
A friend has told me that The Atlas Six is not officially classified as YA. I don’t understand why, but if you come to the comments to tell me that, I’ve already been told. It’s still bad though.
Out of curiousity I looked it up and it turns out to be new adult. Those kinds of books are not easy to find. I want that genre to become as popular young adult books.
I've heard YA is technically 12-18 years old, while new adult is for 18 to twenties and is basically YA that usually includes more graphic stuff like sex, drug/alcohol use/abuse, etc
I love your honestly. I'm often tired of people being like "I liked so it's a masterpiece" when it's totally okay liking something trashy for being trashy!
Yeah it’s ok to enjoy trash for what it is! There’s a place for it. But I can’t stand when people think trash is actually good, and the actual good stuff is bad lol
@@WillowTalksBooks I completely disagree with you🤣! (I love your content so this isn't a dig). However, I don't think it counts as a trash boom whatsoever. I think it doesn't follow the standard story outline which is why many people say it has no real plot. I think this was done on purpose because it's meant to read as more of a philisophical book instead of a classic YA. The characters were written fairly well and most of the people who say they aren't don't seem to understand what they were meant to represent. I loved how some of them had a lack of motive due to the power they possessed. One of the main themes of how power effects people is portrayed really well in the book. I also think the writing style isn't cringy. I understand that it's over the top but considering the fact that the characters are meant to be pretentious the wording makes sense. Most modern YA and adult use very simple borderline childish language and don't get flack. This book does the very opposite and while it isn't everybodys cup of tea in writing style it was a breath of fresh air from other YA novels. Which may be why it became so popular because it wasn't so formulaic. I never once thought the characters ran into each other either. I understand why people may hate it but I don't think it's objectively trash. I'm fact it is probably objectively good in terms of philosophy and science. The magic system seemed to be built off of physics and science. (This is explained slightly more in book 2). And the complex sciences she includes I adore. Although she did need more worldbuilding but I honestly think the story isn't meant to revolve around the world but rather each characters connection with power. However, I did read books 1 and 2 within 24 hours so maybe I need a reread to rethink. (I don't expect an answer but I wanted to post this rant somewhere). Also read book 2 I have a feeling you'll hate love it more than book 1. Many people say she's trying to sound intelligent and is just using pseudo science but on a technical level she is actually very accurate.
Finally, a correct review! Never have I read a novel outside fanfiction that delivers this level of messy indulgence. Your point about the characters bleeding together is my biggest actual gripe - I need Blake to clash these disaster people into each other at every opportunity and it feels watered down when they go runny like that. Luckily, Callum, my hyper-problematic fave, is consistently a huge bitch.
I had a similar experience with this book, although I did expect to like it regardless of quality, because I like the 'magical competition' trope, but I read the first page, thought to myself: "This writing is atrocious," then read the whole thing, absolutely glued to it, simultaneously horrified and amused as it somehow got worse and worse. To be honest, I did have fun reading it, if not for the reasons you're supposed to... I might even read the sequel, so who's really laughing now
I’ve just started this book. But I have to say so far I’ve rolled my eyes about 6 times at the author’s writing style. It’s giving “I just found out how to use a thesaurus” 😶 but I do find the plot somewhat intriguing?? So we’ll seeee
OMG I started reading it yesterday and I CANNOT. I've been eye rolling my eyes all through the first few chapters and I was thinking to myself maybe it's just me and then you and this wonderful video come along and I feel validated. You've been able to perfectly put into words everything I've been thinking xD I think I'll dnf but thank you for this, YOU gave me the best laugh
I've been enjoying a lot of, like, comfy fantasy lately - progression fantasy where you sort of know the formula is gonna be pretty standard. Protagonist meets strong enemy, gets more powers, defeats enemy, there's another one, they get more powers again, hurrah. It's just cozy and easy for me to read even if I don't think it's actually brilliant literature. This sorta sounds like it could be a similar vibe, but I'm so averse to YA in general that I don't know whether I'd be able to switch off the 'this sucks' and enjoy the 'this is hilarious' in this context!
Thanks for acknowledging the bad from the book while still saying it’ll be a fun read because of those points lol. You’re both articulate and my exact kind of sardonic humor, and I love your personality. Subscribed!
Yes!!! I dont want a dictionary when reading a book. The dialogue matches the characters, thats a good point. Brilliantly written, its good to analyse.
Think its insane how I read Wuthering Heights right before reading this book too. It was like going from one type of uncomfortable chaos to another, less uncomfortable chaos.
I read it, I hated it, I told the people I know who are into dark academia how bad it is and I'm waiting for them to read it do we can hate it together. The first three chapters were pretty okay, and then it went downhill. As an aro/ace person, the filler in this was both terrifying and ridiculous at the same time. It has the vibe of My Immortal if you ask me.
Throughout this whole book all I thought to myself was 'I don't get the hype' and 'ew' (in response to the absolute CRINGE fest in front of me), I'm glad I'm not the only one! Also props to how kindly and positively you phrased this review, we love
I just finished it, and everything you said is very true... but I also love it so much. I had such a good time reading it, and I bought the sequel in the middle of reading the first book. I read for fun, and I love YA. This is actually an adult fantasy, but it feels like an in-between YA and high fantasy. I need a break from that heavy prose, but overall I loved it so much. 😂 I get the hype, but not for the reasons they gave.
Those character names! 😂 I’M CRYING! I feel like I’ll have to be in the right mood to read this, but one day I will and I hope I enjoy it, in all its terribleness, as much as you and Marija did!
i couldn’t properly articulate why i liked this book or explain why i was glued to it for three days but you really hit the nail on the head. currently reading the second one because i need to know where it goes and i’m loving every second of it 😭
Thank you for just confirming my feeling about that book! And reminding me about me laughing with one of not-Bridgeton-books by J. Quinn: great, fun tea afternoon scene...with birds🤣
Hearing you talk about the book just reminds me of when my friend got me the latest Sarah J Maas book. (He didn't intend to give me that book, it somehow got mixed up in the mail and now I have someone's Sarah J Maas book and it's impossible to give it back.) Anyway, I just couldn't help but cringe, reading the first hundred pages. Though, unlike you, I just didn't enjoy reading it and just left it unread. The existence of books like these also make me wonder how stuff like this even gets published in the first place. Anyway, sorry I haven't written in a long time. Hope you're having a good day and happy pride month!
Yeah there’s cringe that you can have fun with and cringe that’s just too much to handle. I read just a few pages of a SJM book and it was so bad it actually made me angry lol. Happy Pride Month! 🏳️🌈💜
Oh also have you read "There's No Such Thing as an Easy Job" by Kikuko Tsumura translated by Polly Barton? its a book that i read at christmas that i keep thinking about, especially when im at work. It's got a bit of a Murakami vibe and seems like something you would like. I would recommend it if you haven't read it already.
i bought the book because i was watching this one book youtuber girl talk about her five star reads of 2022 and she made the atlas six sound really great, so i bought it immediatly. i really shouldve finished the video first because later on she says that her favourite book of the year is ugly love by coho. and that pretty mch sums up how i feel about the atlas six: it makes me wanna die. i hate it so much💀💀
I just finished my high school finals (I really have to catch up with your videos ;-;) but I love trash YA. So this is now definitely on my tbr list :D Especially in summer I really like to just read 0% brain, 100% dumb ridiculous fun books :3
A bit of trash literature can do the soul some good. I treat them as palate cleansers. If I am in a reading slump I pick up this type of 'trash' literature and after finishing it I am ready to go!
Great review. I'm reading this atm I can't take this seriously but I'm loving it. Have you read the Winter Spirits it's a collection of winter ghost stories from gothic writers.
One of my biggest problems was the lack of capitalisation in the magic systems, how are these things meant to feel important if you don’t make it look important or stand out when compared to the other words in the sentence?
I came here for the book content, but I spent the video just admiring your jumper. 😍😅 I’m a children’s bookseller, so I have grown to appreciate some elements of YA, and there are some incredible YA titles… but I definitely still find an awful lot of it cringe! Middle fiction is where it’s at for me! I love how much you laughed throughout this review!
When you mentioned Cosmic Putrefaction I squealed with delight 👹 I've been jamming their new album like mad recently! That aside...1) you are so fucking funny, and had me barking out laughter while watching this and 2) you have absolutely sold me on reading this Very Good Bad book. I need a bit of chaotic/nonsensical fun in my life, and this seems perfect 🤓
Like you, I can’t stand YA books, I already DNF one this year (These Violent Delights) 😅 But this video cracks me up LOL I might give it a try just to see how much I can suffer.
i had no prior interest in the book and just got recommended this randomly but now i want to personally thank olivie blake bc this video cracked me up like hell. hm? what was that? am I gonna read it? oh no.
When I was reading this book I enjoyed but at the same time I was reading and I could just hear the faint marching of BookTok teenagers running for it and I knew they were going to turn it into 'shipping' and 'aesthetics' all over the Internet and now I'm unsure whether I wanna read the sequel in case it completely panders to them 😭
Thank you for this hilarious review. I just finished Atlas Six yesterday and chuckled at every single thing you mentioned in this review, because you are exactly spot on. It was a book that was so bad it was good. 🤣
You finally put into words how I felt about this book lol You're right the book is very pretentious in the writing but i LOVE it. I described it as pretentiously cerebral. I found it frustrating that the author never explained the magical world a little more but lets be real, were here for the horny academics.
i am currently experiencing this from "a lesson in vengeance" by victoria lee. oh my word is it trying too hard to sound clever and the word choices are just weird and as if someone just went through the script with a thesaurus and used pretty unsuitable or plain wrong words to make it sound more "elite and clever dark academia setting" also i was laughing out loud when she fancied doing tarot on a girl in her room "for the aesthetic" oh dear god someone save me... for anyone listening.. the discussions on literature also made me laugh out loud. it is probably not going to be for anyone over 30..i am laughing , crying and scoffing through it it is utterly ridiculous. on the other hand it is over the top and many will enjoy the lighting candles and cold breezes and gin and poetry and tweed jackets..of a bunch of kids. I love a gothic novel, but wow, this one im purely making fun of but its a funny time!
@@WillowTalksBooks i feel like it is a funny time though.. andit is not the first time i heard someone say they laughed out loud at some of it.. not to say it is not entertaining mind you! i am not dnf ing purely to see what else is funny!
I really didn't like this book. Totally agree with you on how bad this is but I couldn't even get amused by it. Nothing ever happens... like nothing. I was so disappointed because I expected something better. Then again, I didn't read what people were saying about this so I was pretty proud of myself that I made it through this train wreck of a book. Lol...
My major opinion on this book was: The character interactions sure were fun. Uhhh I don't remember or care about the plot. Would have been better probably without any plot, somehow. Anyway
if you say it’s “whatever a sagittarius is” I’m guessing you mean a centaur and picturing THAT conceiving with a mermaid is even more insane than a faun. how exactly did that work.
Great review. The book certainly does take itself overly seriously Oh gawd Americans writing Brits 🤦🏻♀️ Centaur 🐎 ? I certainly couldn’t tell who was who after a while 😹
When you started taking about mythological creatures, I tought of actually a good book on the younger side of spectrum which is "Song below the water" where you have loads of those. As I'm into afrofuturism I heard about it on Onyx pages, and even if in general it's a lighter content with teenage girls as main leads you get few very powerful moments, like confrontation between police and one of the main character who also happen to be black and has the sort of magical powers which make her an outcast.
