Percy Jackson is not 12 years old. Percy Jackson is also not Harry Potter: he does not defeat foes in an age appropriate manner and the first person n...morePercy Jackson is not 12 years old. Percy Jackson is also not Harry Potter: he does not defeat foes in an age appropriate manner and the first person narration makes him sound like an old man trying to be 12.
Percy Jackson should have been in his 20s, at the youngest, for his character to have been plausible. But making Percy 20 (or older) would have meant putting more effort and world building into this novel than is necessary for young adult readers. It would have needed to be a serious business book, with thoroughly research mythologies. A lot of things would have fallen away from this book and it would have gotten lost in a pompous effort to prove that the author knew more about the Greek gods than anyone else. So I'll let Percy's age slide and pretend he's in his 20s, even though he's not, and read this novel as something written for young adults anyways.
Which brings me to my next point: Percy is too good at being a hero.
A hero does not - and cannot, no matter how gifted (or how old/young) he is - slay multiple mythological beasts and overcome a god on his first quest without a single tangible failure. It makes Hercules et al seem pitiful and like they weren't really trying. It was a lot of action in one book. I think the author may suffer from plot ADD himself. As soon as things seemed to calm down a bit, a monster would attack. It was unnecessary. While it did introduce many great mythological creatures to the plot, it means these beasts won't be new and exciting in the following books.
Having seen the movie and found it moderately interesting, I decided to read the novel to get some of the back story. I enjoyed the backstory. There were some things I took issue with, mostly little inconsistencies. Having the gods and their seat of power move with "the West" is a highly abstract concept and I was pleased to see it used in a young adult novel. Having studied the concept of "the West," I have to say I was pretty impressed with the way the author incorporated theory about the West into the plot while also making it approachable for a younger audience. Brilliant.
What bothered me was the attempt to combine the technological advances of the West with old gods who are still bound by tradition. If you're so into tradition, why are you using robot spiders to attack your foes? I may be under the influence of American Gods, but it doesn't seem right for me for the god in charge of spiders to turn them into little robots. I feel like his power would be diluted in some way. Besides, wouldn't it be easier to use real spiders? I'm not sure what the author was going for by upgrading the spiders to robots, but I wasn't going for it.
The series itself is very interesting and I will continue to read it. There are some problems with the supposed age of Percy, but an overactive imagination can help you get over them.(less)
I really don't like it when books are completely different from what I think they're going to be. This book had nothing whatsoever to do with Alice in...moreI really don't like it when books are completely different from what I think they're going to be. This book had nothing whatsoever to do with Alice in Wonderland. Nothing. Ingrid's part in the play wasn't even that prominent in the novel, and it's supposed to be what we draw comparison from.
Had this book not tried to convince me it was about Alice in Wonderland, I probably would have given it 2.5 stars. It was a light, fun read, although the background characters were practically begging for their own story lines. Either cut them out, or give them defined story lines. This whole middle ground thing isn't working.
But because this novel's premise was related to Alice in Wonderland, I approached it thinking it would be slightly fantastical. It wasn't. Not even a little bit. The humor and entertainment that is present in Alice in Wonderland was completely missing from this novel.
The description and title were so misleading that I kept trying to read for things that weren't happening. This made the story feel jumbled, rushed, incomplete, and poorly put together.
I won't read the rest of the books in the series. Ew.(less)
Ok, Briggs. It's time for us to have a serious conversation about some things.
First: find new ways to introduce villains. The first time you introduc...moreOk, Briggs. It's time for us to have a serious conversation about some things.
First: find new ways to introduce villains. The first time you introduced the novel's Big Bad, I knew that somehow they would end up being the villain. I wasn't even sure what they were going to do or how they were going to do it, just that they were absolutely the Big Bad.
Two: Charles is good at his job. Thank you for repeating this at least 3 times in every chapter. But if Charles is so damned good at his job, why does he make stupid mistakes that end up with him almost dying? His constant need for Anna's heroics absolutely undermines any faith we're supposed to have in his abilities. Don't get me wrong, I love Anna's heroics, but make them appropriately suited to the other characters in your novel. Blergh.
Three: STOP. WRITING. RAPE. VICTIMS/SURVIVORS. It kills me. I love that you're actually guiding Anna as a character through the healing process and letting her come to terms with herself. BUT! Using rape as a major plot point for two of your female protagonists is a cop out. There are other ways to create romantic bonds between men and women. You don't HAVE to make every single main female character a rape victim and then give them a dominant alpha male to rescue them. Stop already, just stop.
Four: can we agree on what it means to be an Omega wolf? You're all over the place with this. If she's supposed to have a calming influence on wolves, why do they all go crazy around her? BE CONSISTENT.(less)
I did not give a shit about any of the characters in this book. The son was a pompous asshole, the mother had more issues than a psych ward, the fathe...moreI did not give a shit about any of the characters in this book. The son was a pompous asshole, the mother had more issues than a psych ward, the father was delusional, and the daughter convinced herself she was above all of that when she really wasn't. Honestly the most unsympathetic protagonists ever.
I would have enjoyed the story more if I had LESS insight into the characters' motivation for doing things. It would have seemed less [insane/stupid/half cocked/pretentious/misguided/idiotic] than it really was. I would rather wonder about their motivations. This book told me everything, it didn't leave any room for imagination.
This book was adorable, hilarious, charming, intelligent, witty, and certainly enjoyable to read. A great book! I couldn't really tell that it was you...moreThis book was adorable, hilarious, charming, intelligent, witty, and certainly enjoyable to read. A great book! I couldn't really tell that it was young adult, I found the humorous writing style to be similar, although less vulgar (perhaps because this *is* a YA book), than authors such as Christopher Moore.
I would absolutely recommend this to anyone who enjoys science, religion, evil bitch Hell gods, humor, and logical conclusions. All of the characters were entertaining and it made the book a very quick read. (less)
Typical second novel in a trilogy: held back by the set up necessary for the third book, "Pretties" lacks a lot of the innovative plot lines present i...moreTypical second novel in a trilogy: held back by the set up necessary for the third book, "Pretties" lacks a lot of the innovative plot lines present in "Uglies." There are some interesting subplots (such as the pre-Rusties), but then there are also some seriously boring main plot points (such as Shay and the Cutters).
I also don't buy into the immaturity of Shay at all. Sure, it's a YA book, so idiotic misunderstandings are a common feature, but come on. Shay was smart enough to escape when she was an ugly, and she found a seriously disastrous way to become more self aware as a pretty. How is it that she'd be so completely stupid and not take five minutes to listen to Tally and let her tell her story? There's a reason I'm glad I'm not in middle school or high school anymore: the entire structure of Tally and Shay's friendship in this novel is that reason.
The ending was a bit obvious, considering that the next book is called "Specials." To be honest, I don't have any interest in reading the trilogy beyond this point. Tally has buried herself in a massive pile of shit, and I don't feel like finding out what implausible ways Westerfeld is going to get her out of those sticky situations. (less)
I'm a little torn about this book being written for a YA audience: it either made it amazing because it didn't overwhelm readers with too much world b...moreI'm a little torn about this book being written for a YA audience: it either made it amazing because it didn't overwhelm readers with too much world building and typical scifi junk, or it dumbed down an interesting and original storyline to where it suffered from lack of development.
Regardless - fantastic novel. If you can get back the teenage girl telling us the story and deal with words like "bubbly" and "bogus," then it's an excellent novel. It is easy to see why so many adult readers like myself fell for this book. It's fascinating!
Tally is an interesting character. She's always asking questions, always trying to do the right thing, always trying to make someone else happy. She thinks she knows what she wants, but gasp! shock! she doesn't, because she's a 16 year old girl. It makes the brain washing done to the uglies and littlies seem less real, less damaging. Like I said: the YA either saved the book from being an explosion of word vomit or shackled it to the constraints of a genre written for angsty teens.
The world building is left slack a bit in this installment, but it does pick up a bit more in the second book. (less)
I did enjoy this book quite a bit. Katniss was an entertaining character and she did a good job of sticking it to the Capitol. The plot was well done,...moreI did enjoy this book quite a bit. Katniss was an entertaining character and she did a good job of sticking it to the Capitol. The plot was well done, the background characters were written perfectly, but the book felt a little hollow to me.
What's this business with sticking it to the Capitol? Why did that only come up about halfway through the book? The most interesting part of the story, to me, was when the Capitol because angry at Katniss for the way she ended the Games. The structure of the Capitol and the war the led to its creation were pulling me into the novel more than her struggle to win the games. Especially since I already knew that she won the games: there are second and third books, after all.
As enthralling as this novel was, it was also very stressful. Even though I knew she lived through the Games, I didn't want other characters to die. I didn't want her to be injured. I got so wrapped up in her strife that I was biting my nails as I soared through the book. I read it really quickly. Whoops?
I don't think I'll read the second book. In all honesty, I'll probably skip it and read the third book. I'm hoping to find out more about the Capitol, and I don't have the patience to read through another book. I assume the reason Katniss gets selected for a second time is because she defied the Capitol. And if I can guess that already, then I don't think reading the second novel is necessary.(less)
This book had one fatal flaw: it had an interesting and involved background story that did not make it into the text. I feel like it was written as a...moreThis book had one fatal flaw: it had an interesting and involved background story that did not make it into the text. I feel like it was written as a product of the time period and society it describes, so Kathy went into little-to-no detail about what it means to be a donor and what it means to be a student at Hailsham.
I was not a big fan of Ishiguro's writing style. Nor was I a fan of the way the plot was constructed. I thought the book would be more about the mechanisms which made the Hailsham students (and others) donors. Instead, the book is about Kathy reminiscing (in no particular order) about her time at Hailsham and her relationship with Tommy and Ruth.
The characters annoyed me as well; mostly Ruth. Ruth was an irritating, pompous, selfish, know-it-all bitch. There's really no other way to describe her. I felt no compassion for any characters in the book, just annoyance with Ruth.
This is a book that I think will actually do well in movie form. It will remove the less important, rambling scenes and make them move at a slightly faster pace in a order that is more relevant to the story.
I was really very disappointed by this book. It's a shame, too. It was such an interesting concept. (less)
Well done! Quite a few twists and turns, some expected and some unexpected. The ending was a little too (insert positive or negative emotion here) and...moreWell done! Quite a few twists and turns, some expected and some unexpected. The ending was a little too (insert positive or negative emotion here) and left and few things too unresolved for me, but it was still wrapped up well.(less)
This book is terrible. It suffers first from a completely unsympathetic protagonist and second from a total lack of any interesting plot.
The first 2/...moreThis book is terrible. It suffers first from a completely unsympathetic protagonist and second from a total lack of any interesting plot.
The first 2/3s of the book are "Quentin did this, and then thus happened," while pretending to be about magic. This book is not about magic. It's about a pretentious, selfish, and "depressed" spoiled brat and his adventures in binge drinking and group sex. No.
Then when they enter Fillory, there's potential for plot. But no. Once again, the novel resorts to categorizing the dull everyday exploits of a group of irritatingly bitter gen Y kids with no real reason to be bitter.
Absolutely nothing happened in this book. It was all character development, which was an unfortunate decision given that the characters were terrible human beings.
"Harry Potter for adults" my ass. I couldn't be more irritated with this book. You could only describe this book as HP for adults if you consider Quentin a version of Draco Malfoy, before he realized he was a complete git.
I found it hilarious that the author was trying to mock Anglophiles and ended up being one himself. There's a fine line between mocking Anglophiles by making use of the rhetoric and actually being one. The writing and plot development were so poor that it made the Anglophilia stand out like Elton John at a Catholic funeral.
This book is, quite honestly, a very poorly done coming of age story about a pretentious asshole in college. There's no magic. Unless you count half-animal half-human shapeshifting orgies to be magic. (less)
This novel meant a lot to me, maybe more than it probably should have. It's not the most well written piece of all time (for various reasons), but it'...moreThis novel meant a lot to me, maybe more than it probably should have. It's not the most well written piece of all time (for various reasons), but it's so endearing. I cared so much for the protagonist that I became emotionally involved in the book. Which is interesting if you think about it, because Christopher wasn't the most emotionally involved person himself.
I think the reason I appreciated this novel so much was because it was about a child with autism. My brother has Asperger's, and I saw many parallels (albeit less extreme) between Christopher and my brother. It made sense to me.
The novel portrays Christopher as a somewhat normal autistic boy: he's not a genius, he's not an idiot, he's not something special. He's a "normal" autistic boy who understands things differently and who fixates on a particular set of things.
While the relationship between Christopher's parents is part of the back story, it helps to draw the reader in. We can infer from the very beginning what happened to Christopher's mother, but we find out as he does. We experience the rage, confusion, and heartbreak just as Christopher does.
As the sibling of someone who has always been disconnected in some way or who hasn't experienced things the "normal" and properly socially adjusted way, reading about Christopher's life and how he described the way he felt was not only interesting, but compelling and heartbreaking. Heartbreaking, but only in the sense that it warmed me to understand such a complex and interesting person.(less)
Amazing. I would recommend this book to anyone with a slight interest in dystopian novels. It's not too science-fictiony and it doesn't suffer from ri...moreAmazing. I would recommend this book to anyone with a slight interest in dystopian novels. It's not too science-fictiony and it doesn't suffer from ridiculous world building. The story just works. It's an excellent plot and is really well written. Some of the bulk could have been cut down if he edited the internal thoughts of characters that rambled on for (sometimes) pages at a time. However, those thoughts were usually relevant to the plot, so I'll go with it.
I like that he didn't try to explain everything. I like that he didn't try to make it perfect and have an absolutely clear ending and an perfectly clear explanation for Amy's existence. It was very well done. (less)
What I found most annoying about this book was that none of the issues surrounding the Vegas vampire takeover were actually dealt with. They were disc...moreWhat I found most annoying about this book was that none of the issues surrounding the Vegas vampire takeover were actually dealt with. They were discussed at great length, and then dropped midway through the novel. It was like reading two distinct books: the first half about Vegas vampire takeover drama, and the second half about fairies, foreign vamps, and weres. Wtf? Neither half was even remotely close to being resolved. It was way too scattered to be enjoyable, even for the trashy brain candy that it is.
Also irritating were the one-liners that ended almost every single chapter. "And then he was dead." "And then I drank an illegal drug." "And then we moved the dead body." "And then [A PIVOTAL THING HAPPENED OMGZ:]." There was one chapter that I can recall that didn't end in this manner. (less)
This was a horrible conclusion to the series. Instead of reading a book about Lisbeth and her scheming genius, I read a book about Mikael and others t...moreThis was a horrible conclusion to the series. Instead of reading a book about Lisbeth and her scheming genius, I read a book about Mikael and others trying to save her. This was not at all what I expected, nor is it consistent with the remainder of the series. It was slow, and the conclusion was insufficient. This book was not about Lisbeth: it was about people saving Lisbeth. No thanks.
Also, I could care less about Erika's subplot. What was the point of that mess?
This book is a terribly unsatisfying ending to what was previously an amazing set of books. (less)
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