4.5 stars. I'm still thinking if I'm gonna give this a full five-stars.
For starters, this book is great--very different from what I initially thought....more4.5 stars. I'm still thinking if I'm gonna give this a full five-stars.
For starters, this book is great--very different from what I initially thought. Actually, the synopsis didn't appeal to me very much, and I was expecting this to be one of those romantic novels that made me want to rip my hair out. In fact, I was reluctant to read it. Gladly, I was wrong.
One of the good points is that the beginning didn't start off shooting a lot of information, nor did it leave me confused for a very long time. I believe it started just right, and the events certainly held my attention and curiosity.
The plot is not exactly unique (thus my hunch, popping somewhere in the middle of the book, being correct), but it didn't feel so unoriginal or ripped off from others. I think the next book's plot would be a lot better.
The characters were nicely done, though I must admit some still lacked personality development. Not that they were flat, but I suppose in the next book, they could come more alive. Nevertheless, I wasn't disappointed.
I can't quite hide my giddiness when reading, especially the romance part. And believe me, my tolerance for corny, mushy, insta-love, weird love relationships is very low. Again, I was very happy reading them. (I even went back, just now, to those pages to bookmark them. :D)
Anyway, Cinder's a good read. It's not too complicated, but didn't bore me. And it's a plus that the lead girl is not annoying.(less)
I feel bad for not liking this book. I really tried to like it. But honestly? I was disappointed, big time.
The beginning was really fun; I almost coul...moreI feel bad for not liking this book. I really tried to like it. But honestly? I was disappointed, big time.
The beginning was really fun; I almost couldn't place the book down. The pacing was quick, then it went slow. There was too much going on, too much requests, too much promises, too many fairy tales. And I should have actually figured that out. I thought it was like the other two books that mainly focused on one tale, but no. Alex Flinn just bunched up more than five fairy tales to create the body of the story.
No character stood out for me. Not Johnny, not Meg, not Princess Victoria...they were all too shallow. I didn't even feel once that I kind of liked Johnny. And it was not because he's not the hot type of guy. I felt like he didn't really care about anyone but himself. He did everything for himself--to gain money, to be free of poverty, etc. He has too many regrets, and I hate it. He was an idiot too. And really, when you don't like the narrator (or the hero/heroine or any other characters out there) it's hard to like the book.
(view spoiler)[The ending? I don't know. Maybe I'm a sadist, but I feel like Johnny should have suffered something. After all he did (leaving his family, his friends, his work) he still got what he wanted, what he had been searching for, and his dream fulfilled. It's a fairy tale, I know, but there are consequences in life, and Johnny didn't receive any of that. (hide spoiler)](less)
It's OK. Perhaps not the best fantasy-romance novel, but it's pretty decent.
If I'll base it solely on the story, I'd give it a four star. One good thi...moreIt's OK. Perhaps not the best fantasy-romance novel, but it's pretty decent.
If I'll base it solely on the story, I'd give it a four star. One good thing about Red Riding Hood is that it didn't focus wholly on the love story, although it had its effects in the flow of the story.
As for the characters... Valerie is not the best lead out there, but she's OK. She's obsessed at some point (which I hate) but she has a few redeeming qualities too. Throughout the story, I knew her basic qualities, but Sarah Blakley-Cartwright didn't put into light her other personalities that made people in the story like her. Which is probably why I feel she's not the best female lead. And Peter is hot, as the author described, and he's not your typical bad boy neighbor--he's really bad, which taints his handsome appearance. (And I like that, since the guy doesn't always have to be perfect.) Though, he lacked character development, big time. Lucie is a great sister, I think. Just some parts left me questioning her motives, though. And I can't say much here or I'll spoil the story. Henry Lazar is probably the perfect guy in the story, but I don't hate him. Actually, he's pretty scarred too, and his character was developed (at least much more than the others) so the readers can actually like him for his personalities, not just because he looks good. And honestly, if Valerie liked Henry, I wouldn't hate her (which was something usually did, because I hate girls who switched from one guy to another). I think I would if I was in her position. XD
Except for one part (perhaps two to three pages), the novel is pretty "clean" and YA-ish.
And if Sarah Blakley-Cartwright was planning on a second book with her ending, I'm still disappointed. She left a lot of questions left unanswered. It's like she opened ten boxes of jigsaw puzzles throughout the story, but answered only one or two. Every reader is left with his/her own to think of the answers.(less)
This book is not for me. I didn't like it, and I should have known I wouldn't. The premise alone should have warned me: Girl meets bad boy, falls spon...moreThis book is not for me. I didn't like it, and I should have known I wouldn't. The premise alone should have warned me: Girl meets bad boy, falls spontaneously in love with him the next moment, and needs to be with him otherwise she'll end up dead or whatever. Ugh. I guess I didn't learn my lessons yet.
(This review may contain spoilers. I don't have the patience to check whether what I'm going to say is part of the non-spoiler zone or not.)
One: I don't understand how or why Showalter chose to name this first book with the intention of it being like Alice in Wonderland because I don't see any resemblance between the two.
Two: I hate "Ali" the princess. She was annoying all the way, and I never felt any compassion for her, despite the tragedies she faced and whatever else. All her emotions were so extreme they felt fake. And self-pity seemed to become her most prominent personality, besides being annoying and "I'm trying not to melt into a stupid puddle because of Cole's sweetness". I didn't really like the fact that she would say she was "relieved, yes, relieved, not disappointed" when she and Cole finished talking or something. It's so obviously not, and it's so freaking annoying.
Three: Cole. Aside from his beautiful violet eyes (which I would have liked if it wasn't mentioned every other page), I don't know what else to think of him. In the beginning, his personality was strong, hard and cold. Then he turned into this really good guy who can't keep his eyes off Ali and did nothing but stalk, watch over and protect her. One moment, he was snarling at her, showing and emanating dislike from every angle possible, and the next he was devouring her with his eyes. Tch. Stereotypical.
Four: The writing style and its supposed humor didn't appeal to me, the "I'm so witty, laugh!" type which made me roll my eyes and the drama part which made me cringe. The romance was a major turn off too. I wouldn't even recommend it just for the love story part.
Lastly, I don't understand why people are so hyped up about this.
So, this series is definitely out of my list, because I'm tired of stupid and annoying characters.(less)
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