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Shadow and Bone (The Grisha, #1)
by Leigh Bardugo (Goodreads Author)
by Leigh Bardugo (Goodreads Author)
Kelly Leigh's review
bookshelves: young-adult, witches-warlocks-druids-oh-my
Jun 18, 12
bookshelves: young-adult, witches-warlocks-druids-oh-my
Read from June 14 to 18, 2012
This book, aargh, book, I didn't mesh with you whatsoever. For you are vain and shallow and have little to no substance for my tastes. And a plot? Was it hidden? Alas, I failed to find it.
The plot, there was little to none. Well, only if you consider attending balls, nonstop makeovers, endless gazing at one's self in mirrors plot-worthy. And the mirror-mirroring on the wall didn't stop there, let me tell you. MC, Alina, also invited a girlfriend over, Genya, to do the same while they danced and twirled and tried on clothes. I'm so beautiful. No, you're so beautiful. He-he-he. We're so beautiful. The fairest in all the land. Eventually my annoyance morphed to laughter, for the looking-glass gazings reminded me of the Californians on SNL, when they'd - the cast - would end the skit by fondly staring in a standing floor mirror. For your viewing pleasure. The Californians.
And my absolute favorite. The abuse of the word beautiful. Everything was beautiful. The Grisha, clothes, atmosphere, Alina, Nadia, Zoya, and Genya and the queen and . . . If you tell the reader that every Grisha is beautiful, then it's wholly unnecessary to remind me of this fact every 10 pages. I get it. Only pretty pretty princesses can be magical y'all. Sorry to all you ugly ducklings. This is a perfect book for impressionable teens, methinks. Great values and morals jam-packed within this tome. Would totally help with teetering self-esteems. Just chase this book with a teen glossy du jour.
Here's a question that kept popping up in my noggin. If Evil's afoot, the fate of the world in a precarious situation, then why are there so many balls or fetes? Does Evil take a break for celebrations? It must. Good to know. And also, if Evil and Danger are lurking around the corner, in the shadows, why is everything described as beautiful? Shouldn't it be more ominous? Everything to this MC was jovial, the atmosphere painted was one of grandeur and beauty and opulence, not danger. Wouldn't one perceive things a tad different if one was truly fearful? Right?
So yeah, if you don't mind an anorexic plot. If you don't mind vanity and reading about how everything is beautiful every 10 ten pages. If you don't mind a lack of character development. If you don't mind being told not shown. Then look no more, for this is the book for you. I might end up deleting this review, for I don't like to sound harsh, but this book and I didn't gel. And that's okay. You can't expect to like every single book. Also, it's safe to say I won't be continuing on with this series.
The plot, there was little to none. Well, only if you consider attending balls, nonstop makeovers, endless gazing at one's self in mirrors plot-worthy. And the mirror-mirroring on the wall didn't stop there, let me tell you. MC, Alina, also invited a girlfriend over, Genya, to do the same while they danced and twirled and tried on clothes. I'm so beautiful. No, you're so beautiful. He-he-he. We're so beautiful. The fairest in all the land. Eventually my annoyance morphed to laughter, for the looking-glass gazings reminded me of the Californians on SNL, when they'd - the cast - would end the skit by fondly staring in a standing floor mirror. For your viewing pleasure. The Californians.
And my absolute favorite. The abuse of the word beautiful. Everything was beautiful. The Grisha, clothes, atmosphere, Alina, Nadia, Zoya, and Genya and the queen and . . . If you tell the reader that every Grisha is beautiful, then it's wholly unnecessary to remind me of this fact every 10 pages. I get it. Only pretty pretty princesses can be magical y'all. Sorry to all you ugly ducklings. This is a perfect book for impressionable teens, methinks. Great values and morals jam-packed within this tome. Would totally help with teetering self-esteems. Just chase this book with a teen glossy du jour.
Here's a question that kept popping up in my noggin. If Evil's afoot, the fate of the world in a precarious situation, then why are there so many balls or fetes? Does Evil take a break for celebrations? It must. Good to know. And also, if Evil and Danger are lurking around the corner, in the shadows, why is everything described as beautiful? Shouldn't it be more ominous? Everything to this MC was jovial, the atmosphere painted was one of grandeur and beauty and opulence, not danger. Wouldn't one perceive things a tad different if one was truly fearful? Right?
So yeah, if you don't mind an anorexic plot. If you don't mind vanity and reading about how everything is beautiful every 10 ten pages. If you don't mind a lack of character development. If you don't mind being told not shown. Then look no more, for this is the book for you. I might end up deleting this review, for I don't like to sound harsh, but this book and I didn't gel. And that's okay. You can't expect to like every single book. Also, it's safe to say I won't be continuing on with this series.
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Reading Progress
| 06/15/2012 | page 95 |
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26.0% | ""She shrugged. 'So I'm beautiful. That doesn't mean much among Grisha. The Darkling doesn't care what you look like, just what you can do." Says the girl who was sent to basically do magical plastic surgery on the "ugly duckling" MC. Yet on p. 77 the MC said this: "'Do I look like a Grisha to you?' Grisha were beautiful." So are those who can do magic the most beautiful in all the land or not? I confused!" |
| 06/15/2012 | page 107 |
|
29.0% | "P. 99 "Despite silver in their hair and their lined faces, they were strikingly attractive. In fact everyone in the room was unnervingly good-looking." p. 107 same party. "I was quickly surrounded by beautifully dressed men and women." a few sentences later: " The Queen was beautiful." So wait, I'm not fully understanding. Are there beautiful people at the soirée, for the author's a tad vague?" |
| 06/15/2012 | page 114 |
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31.0% |
"Really? WTF? "'It's funny,' I said after a while. 'I always thought that being beautiful would make life so much easier.' 'Oh it does,' Genya said, and laughed. I couldn't help but laugh, too." I'm the only one who isn't laughing. Repetitive much? And not to nitpick, but aside from all the pretty pretty princesses, what's the plot?" |
| 06/15/2012 | page 116 |
|
32.0% | "Oh for the love of God, please let there be some kind of magic weaving going on as in the MC is under a spell. "I caught a glimpse of myself in the glass. Maybe it was the lamplight, but I thought I looked even better than when Genya had first finished her work on me...I was just gawking at myself in the mirror and had to smile. For a girl who hated looking at herself, I was at risk of becoming vain."" 2 comments |
| 06/17/2012 | page 200 |
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54.0% | "More beautiful people and beautiful ensemble references. And wouldn't you know it, the token bitchy and jealous girl just arrived, Zoya (I believe), and she was described as, guess what? If you channeled Miss Cleo the psychic and said "beautiful", then I pass a virtual cookie your way. But seriously, there has to be a reason. Has to be. And nobody's saying due to it spoiling the whole plot, methinks." |
| 06/17/2012 | page 225 |
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61.0% | "Argh! The MC and beauty gazing in mirrors needs to stop. Within 30 pages it's happened twice and one time before that. And again I ask myself, when's something gonna happen? For 100 odd pages there's been makeovers, fetes, training. And fetes? Isn't evil and mayhem afoot? Shouldn't celebrations be put on the back burner? Or does Evil understand and give them a much needed break?" |
| 06/17/2012 | page 238 |
|
65.0% |
""'He said he wants to make Ravka whole again. He said that-' 'Stop telling me what he said!' she snarled. She stole the words right outta my mouth. How about stop telling me every damn thing and start showing. Now that's a novel idea. Bright side: at least Alina's not talking about about how beautiful she and everyone else is." |
| 06/17/2012 | page 239 |
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65.0% | "Placing antlers around her neck like a necklace. Whose idea was that, Flavor Flav? Kinda unfashionable and clunky, y'think?"" |
| 06/17/2012 | page 248 |
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67.0% | "Oh man, this Alina is a piece of work. Tis a shame that the fate of Os Alta, of all the world, lies in her hands. This dolt believes everything she's told. There's no Sherlocking herself, oh no, she's too busy mirror mirroring on the wall." |
Comments (showing 1-14 of 14) (14 new)
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Kyle
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rated it 2 stars
Jun 14, 2012 05:30pm
Can't wait for your thoughts on this one! Seen reviews here and there, but no negative so far.
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I've been anxiously awaiting the day I could get my greedy hands on this book, so I'm seriously hoping it doesn't disappoint. As long as there's not senseless animal deaths left and right, I'll enjoy just about anything by this point. ;)
Yikes, that low?! Can't say I'm too surprised due to your status updates. So, is this as bad as say, Divergent?
Divergent was hands down, bar none so much better than this book! Can you believe I just said that? I'm about ready to faint. Well, Divergent had action. Things happened. This book, not at all! Seriously, nothing happened. But what really irked me as all get out was the constant beautiful. I get it. Stop telling me. I was told that Grisha were beautiful, then why describe everything as just that. It was an abuse of the word. Yeah, i won't be continuing on with this series.
I thought I'd never see the day I'd see those words typed! This must be pretty bad. Sometimes I seriously wonder where the hype for these books comes from.
Kyle wrote: "I thought I'd never see the day I'd see those words typed! This must be pretty bad. Sometimes I seriously wonder where the hype for these books comes from."Yep, it was THAT bad. And then I wince, because I don't like saying harsh things, but sometimes you've just gotta. Right? I mean, this book has nothing but 5 stars basically and I don't get it.
@Jennifer, proceed at your own risk. You know how you and I agree about liking books where, you know, stuff actually happens? Yeah, I'll leave it at that.
@Kyle. I know, right? I believe this was at the top of my Most Anticipated Books of 2012 list. Such a shame.
I want to read this book too. Now I have doubts. Nasty, nasty reviewer! But I must say, the reviews I've sen around the web have not been glowing. Sad.
@Gwynneth. Give it a go. I went into this book absolutely, positively believing I was going to find it utterly delicious. And well, as you can see that was so not the case. Maybe if the bar is set low already, the reading experience might not be so horrific. :)
Kelly wrote: "@Gwynneth. Give it a go. I went into this book absolutely, positively believing I was going to find it utterly delicious. And well, as you can see that was so not the case. Maybe if the bar is set ..."You're right. I won't let you nay-sayers put me off. By the way, I really enjoy your reviews.
