Gretchen C. Hohmeyer's Blog, page 98

Review: Crossed by Ally Condie

Crossed by Ally Condie

Three stars

Rules are different outside the Society.

Chasing down an uncertain future, Cassia makes her way to the Outer Provinces in pursuit of Ky–taken by the Society to his sure death–only to find that he has escaped into the majestic, but treacherous, canyons. On this wild frontier are glimmers of a different life and the enthralling promise of rebellion. But even as Cassia sacrifices everything to reunite with Ky, ingenious surprises from Xander may change the game once again.

Narrated from both Cassia's and Ky's points of view, this hotly anticipated sequel to Matched will take them both to the edge of Society, where nothing is as expected and crosses and double crosses make their path more twisted than ever.

In my review of Matched, I made a mention of the fact that I was "eager" to read Crossed "despite" the reviews I had read. And I was, I really was. The problem? I should have listened when every single one of them said–in one way or another–that nothing happened.

Alright, I'm getting quite snappy and far ahead of myself. I was excited to pick up Crossed, because I thought Matched carried so much promise. Before 100 pages had gone by, however, I was quite disappointed. My first shocker was that the book kept switching back and forth between Ky and Cassia as narrators. Yes, yes, I see that the blurb mentions that, but I didn't read it before I dove right in. I probably should have, but what can I say? The back and forth got quite choppy in places, and as Ky and Cassia met up again it got fairly bulky. Some of those chapters seemed like they were just thrown in so that a chapter break could be had in between (mostly) Cassia's viewpoint.

My second problem was the apparent ADD the book had developed. Now, I don't mind flashbacks when they're done properly but this…wasn't it. Both Cassia and Ky were jumping in and out of the past and present with almost no warning, leaving my jolted out of the writing and thoroughly confused. This was heavily prevalent in the front of the book, disappeared in the middle and showed up once or twice again in the end. It was a very, very messy use of flashbacks that left me rather annoyed.

The thing about Crossed is that it really wasn't a book. Sure, there was a vague plotline taking place, but if I was being kind I'd call it filler in between Matched and the final and yet untitled third book. It was barely even that. Reading Crossed felt like reading Condie's character sketches and paragraphs of her own personal delve into her world's background. There was more discussing of Ky's past, Cassia's inner feelings and a whole lot of dark poeticism on love, life and philosophy.

*SPOILERS BELOW*

By the time any real plot developments occurring, I was already quite done with the book. I skipped through most of the middle and missed nothing. The only reason I started reading again was because Cassia and Ky found each other and I'm a sucker for romance. When it did occur, however, it felt…trite and forced. For instance, Ky's whole issue with going with Cassia to the Rising. He goes on and on for chapters about how he can't go with her, but then when they finally decide to go there is no question that he's going with her. As if there ever was. Xander's "big secret" as being a member of the Rising felt contrived so that the love triangle would remain viable. And of course, that end. THAT END. No, no, no, no. At least make it somehow believable. All this fighting and nearly dying and death and self discovery to get back together and Cassia ends up being sent back into Society by the Rising where she SHOULDN'T BE ALLOWED because she ought to have been RECLASSIFIED as was mentioned several times throughout the story. None of it made sense and none of it felt right.

*END SPOILERS*

Overall, Crossed was a huge disappointment. I really, really wanted to like this book, but it just defeated my attempts at every turn. If you really do want to hold on to this series, I don't recommend reading this one unless you are deeply in love with Cassia and Ky's romance and think learning all about Society's history, Cassia's inner thoughts and Ky's past is awesome and can overlook that it isn't presented well. Personally, I wish I'd just read a summary and kept waiting for the finale. Though I am still vaguely curious about how the last book will go, I now feel that Condie's storyline is far too predictable to keep me on my toes, so whether or not I actually read the final book will depend on my whim and the money in my bookstore stash. It certainly won't be a must-get for me.

12 Debut Authors I'm Looking Forward to in 2012

So, after my December post about books I was looking forward to in 2012–which ended up needing a part two–I realized that I only had one debut author on there. Clearly, something needed to be fixed. You have to have somewhere to go when those series have ended, right? So here are some of my picks for 2012! (In no particular order) In order to fit them all into one post, I have linked to all the blurbs–all of which lead to the book's Goodread's page. I have included some genre keywords so you can get a sense whether or not the book would be up your alley! Please note that all release dates are for the US and subject to change.

Author: Jodi Meadows

Book: Incarnate

Release Date: January 31

Genres: Young Adult, Fantasy, Paranormal/Supernatural, Dystopian, Romance

Read the blurb here

Author: Brodi Ashton

Book: Everneath

Release Date: January 24

Genre: Young Adult, Paranormal, Greek Mythology, Romance

Read the blurb here.

Author: Veronica Rossi

Book: Under the Never Sky

Release Date: January 3

Genre: Young Adult, Dystopian, Romance

Read the blurb here.

Author: Robin Bridges

Book: The Gathering Storm

Release Date: January 10

Genre: Young Adult, Paranormal, Romance, 19th Century

Read the blurb here.

Author: Susan Dennard

Book: Something Strange and Deadly

Release Date: July 24

Genre: Young Adult, Paranormal, Zombies, Historical

Read the blurb here.

Author: Wendy Higgins

Book: Sweet Evil

Release Date: May 1

Genre: Young Adult, Angels, Demons, Romance

Read the blurb here.

Author: Tricia Wolfe

Book: Destiny's Fire

Release Date: January 10

Genre: Young Adult, Steampunk, Paranormal

Read the blurb here.

Author: Jessica Shirvington

Book: Embrace

Release Date: March 6

Genre: Young Adult, Paranormal, Angels, Romance

Read the blurb here.

Author: Corrine Jackson

Book: If I Lie

Release Date: August 28

Genre: Young Adult, Romance, Contemporary, Military

Read the blurb here.

Author: Katherine Longshore

Book: Gilt

Release Date: May 15

Genre: Young Adult, Historical, Romance, Tudor

Read the blurb here.

Author: Michele Vail

Book: Undeadly

Release Date: February 28

Genre: Young Adult, Paranormal, Necromancy

Read the blurb here.

Author: Kathleen Peacock

Book: Hemlock

Release Date: May 8

Genre: Young Adult, Urban Fantasy, Werewolves

Read the blurb here.

When your writing style begins to lose its mind…

Did you know that could HAPPEN? It's a true fact, believe it or not. I just discovered this, roundabouts yesterday. Here I thought I was being so awesome–I was starting off the New Year the right way: writing. This short story just kept coming and coming until I'd sacrificed multiple hours and 11 pages of notebook paper to its altar. Then I went to read it. My face looked a lot like…this.

Only less yellow. Anyways…

Whether you're really conscious of it or not, everyone has a writing style all their own. It's something you do naturally, without thinking about it, because that's just the way you write. You probably don't even realize what the nuances of it are because you just do it. But let me tell you: when you depart from it, you know it.

I didn't understand this story right after I wrote it and I still don't understand it a day after I wrote it. It is so not me I don't know what to do with it. It's lack of coherency is probably another problem I have to fix… But the thing is, I know what it ISN'T: it isn't what I normally write. And I'm not talking genre or characters or anything like that. I write fantasy all the time, my MCs tend to be girls–it was actually a story idea I started months ago but never finished. The rewrite yesterday turned into another beast entirely.

The thing about writing is that it's a fluid craft. It changes when you change, and you change day-to-day. Your writing one day won't be the same the next day, and it doesn't always get better consistently either.  You probably already know that the best writing comes when you're in that "mood" that is really hard to find but always amazing to be in, as our friends from Calvin and Hobbs by Bill Watterson understand. And sometimes that creativity is just strange. Like this story I've got here. I'm going to need a decryption machine in Gibberish to understand just what's going on. But you know what the funny thing is? I like it. I like it a lot. No, not the story. What the story represents.

Sometimes you start feeling like the way you write is tired and tried, but the problem is that you think you're stuck with it. You think that this is the way that you write and, while you can learn to write better, it'll always have that same flare to it. You started doing them because you thought it was cool, but now it's like you're stuck on them. I certainly thought I was. I had seven different stories started in my notebook, and I didn't think I could write one of them well, so I just wasn't writing. That is probably the worst thing you can do.

You know what, maybe it will take you all seven stories to get one paragraph of amazing writing. Maybe it'll take you all seven stories to get a sentence. That's okay. Just let out the words that want to come out and stop thinking about it. Yes, what comes out might make absolutely no sense, but that's okay too. That's nonsense you wrote. And maybe it's less nonsense than you think.

Countdown to 2012: Books I Can't Wait To Read (Part 2)

Yes, this countdown required not one but TWO postings. Why? Because there are so many amazing books out there! If you missed part 1, you can find it here. But enough babbling, let's get to the BOOKS.

RAPTURE by Lauren Kate (Fallen #4)

Release date: June 12

Why: Because I enjoyed all three previous books for the most part, and I've seen this through so far I can't help but see it through. If you've read my blog before you know I hate hate hate the instantly in love YA cliché, but Kate makes it work as much as it ever can. The last book, Passion, was a genuinely interesting trek through time that really departed from the first two, so I hope Rapture will be just as interesting!

 

THE GOLDEN LILY by Richelle Mead (Bloodlines #2)

Release date: June 19

Why: Because Mead's Vampire Academy world is freaking amazing. I may never adore another set of her characters like I did Rose and Dmitri, but honestly the characters of Bloodlines are putting up a pretty goodfight–even though I hadn't liked many of them when they showed up in the VA books. Then there is Adrian, whom I would read ANYTHING about. Plus, the end of Bloodlines? The VA character that showed up? I NEED TO READ THIS SO BADLY. It comes out the day after my birthday, so those future gift cards of mine have already been waaay committed.

ENDLESSLY by Kiersten White (Paranormalcy #3)

Release date: July 24

Why: Okay, I'm not going to lie: these books are quirky. They are way quirky. It takes a certain type of reader to be able to take the quirkiness that is Evie. But you know what? I love it. The books are easy reads that are cute and funny, and pretty exciting when you get into it. Also, interesting. The plot line is pretty original for a "let's through every paranormal in the world into one book" scenario. I love me some evil faeries. Endlessly won't be on my MUST HAVE NOW list the second it comes out, but it will most certainly be on my bookshelf pretty soon after.

COURTSHIP AND CURSES by Marissa Doyle

Release date: August 7

Why: Because I'm genuinely curious. I read Doyle's Leland sisters duet and thoroughly enjoyed them, and this is clearly in the same vein. Goodreads billed this as the third book in that series, but the blurb makes no mention of them at all. Are they in it? Is this going to be a redux of that series with a new character with a much less flashy name? I suppose we'll see August 7!

 

HIDDEN by PC and Kristin Cast (House of Night #10)

Release date: October 6

Why: Because I'm hoping it's the last one, honestly. I've held on with this series this far because I didn't think they could drag this out THIS LONG and because Stark is hot. That is baaaasically it. I haven't even bought the last one yet (pictured here because I wanted a pretty picture)because I wouldn't cry if I had to give up the series right there because HOW MUCH MORE? How much more stringing out can there BE? WHERE do they keep coming up with more? It is this twisted reasoning that allows this book on this list.

UNTITLED by Tahereh Mafi (Shatter Me #2)

Release date: November 2012

Why: No, this book doesn't have a title or a cover yet, but it can't help but be on my list. The first book (pictured here) made my book review turn into a rant of epic proportions and made me LOSE MY MIND. I can't NOT read this book because Tahereh Mafi is writing it and I have this yearning faith that she'll get her act together and write like the FANTASTIC writer she is just waiting to be.

UNTITLED by Ally Condie (Matched #3)

Release date: November 13

Why: Because I genuinely want to know how this ends. I'm still trying to get my hands on Crossed and my review of Matched wasn't glowing, but…hey. This series is only three books and I'm interested. Why not? Pretty sure these books are worth it just for Ky, anyways. Maybe my views will change when I read the second book, but I'm staying open-minded. (The image here is only the teaser cover, not the actual one–in case you were wondering.)

 

CLOCKWORK PRINCESS by Cassandra Clare (Infernal Devices #3)

Release date: November

Why: Must we go over this again? IT'S CLARE. Yes, in case you were confused, this is a different series. Clare is currently going back and forth between them to keep them both moving along so nobody kills her. With the hangers she always ends the books at, it wouldn't surprise me if someone threatened her with that. Especially, you know, Clockwork Prince. This book needs to come out SO MUCH FASTER. With the addition of the 3 "not planned" books to The Mortal Instruments, I must say that The Infernal Devices has become my favorite because it feels fresh and exciting, not like she's forcing more plot out. I was really worried the books were going to turn out too parallel to each other but…nope! They are both equally amazing and equally different. GIVE ME MORE!

 

And that's it for now! Until, you know, tomorrow when I'm browsing Goodreads and OHMYGOODNESS LOOK AT THAT BOOK THAT'S COMING OUT. Because it will happen. It always does.

Countdown to 2012: Books I Can't Wait to Read (Part 1)

Does anyone else write down book release dates on their calendar? Because I do. The second I get a date, it's scrawled on the calendar in a colored pen so fast the ink gets mussed. I got a calendar as a present and that was the first thing I did. Thank you, Goodreads. Here's a list of books I'm waiting for and their release dates! If you see one that's on yours too, SQUEE WITH ME. If there are ones that aren't on here, and that fact BLOWS your MIND, tell me in the comments! You can never get too many books.

JESSICA RULES THE DARK SIDE by Beth Fantasky (Jessica #2)

Release Date: Jan 10

Why: Because I'm honestly curious what Fantasky is going to do, since I was so sure the first book–Jessica's Guide to Dating the Dark Side–was a stand alone novel. It certainly didn't leave any loose ends or anything. It was genuinely interesting and a new take on vampirism, so I enjoyed it. I may or may not be a sucker for "what happens after the fairytale ending" stories. Plus, Lucian was a hot vampire. Sign me up!

HALLOWED by Cynthia Hand (Unearthly #2)

Release Date: January 17

Why: I linked to my review of the first book, Unearthly, which will talk more about my feelings about the book, but I will say again that I am genuinely curious how Hallowed is going to unfold, not just plot-wise but also writing style-wise. Unearthly was good but slow, though I was too intrigued by Hand's take on angelicism to put it down. I think without the time constraints that she was limited to by her own plot conventions in the first book, Hand can really do something special with this one. Or at least I'm hoping. You'll certainly be the first to know when I figure it out! I've already got it pre-ordered.

EVERNEATH  by Brodi Ashton

Release date: Jan 24

Why: THIS BOOK SOUNDS SO COOL. Alright, blurbs can often be very misleading, but, come on. This book has a really, really neat concept as described here. It's been advertised on inkpop and all over Goodreads, and I can't help but cave. It probably won't be on my instantly pre-ordered list because of all the series I'm excited to further and finish, but I most definitely want to pick it up when I get the chance.

WINGS OF THE WICKED by Courtney Allison Moulton (Angelfire #2)

Release Date: Jan 31

Why: Angelfire made me go gaga, plain and simple. Just…gaga. The storyline is awesome, the mythology is awesome, the twists were awesome, the romance is awesome and the guy is one I would love to date. Need I say more? Because I will, actually. The end of book one left opened up twists that I sure as heck didn't see coming and left more questions than answers, and I NEED ANSWERS. It's already been preordered and I am counting down days.

FEVER by Lauren DeStefano (The Chemical Garden #2)

Release Date: February 21st

Why: Alright, yes, my book review of the first book–Wither–wasn't completely complimentary, but I can't help but be intrigued. DeStefano handled some really tough issues really well and wrote in some great relationship stuff (and some not great, but I hold onto hope)…and the blurb talks about Rhine and Gabriel ending up in a "twisted carnival whose ringmistress keeps watch over a menagerie of girls." Maybe I'm a sucker. Maybe I'm a big sucker. But come on. This is crazy enough it just might work, and Wither was good enough that I'm not ready to give up on this world quite yet.

SPELL BOUND by Rachel Hawkins (Hex Hall #3)

Release Date: March 13

Why: WHY DO I NEED TO TELL YOU? Ahem. Anyways. Have you read these? Because you need to read these. Yes, girl at magical boarding school has been tried and tried again, but I am in LOVE. LOVE. LOVE with this books. They are interesting, they are funny, they are will written and the love interest(s) are to die for. Oh, and it is SO NOT FAIR how Hawkins just leaves you hanging again and again. …I am very impatient when I just NEED to know what happens next, you may have noticed. I tend to pre-order by month, so you know what I'll be doing March 1st instead of celebrating my father's birthday.

INSURGENT by Veronica Roth (Divergent #2)

Release Date: May 1

Why: Divergent may or may not have been overhyped for a reason. It isn't groundbreaking amazingness, but it is pretty darn near close. I've yet to read a dystopian that I've enjoyed this much. It was the realist, and the one I connected the most with. It had pretty much everything I look for in a book, plus I truly enjoy reading Roth's writing. It's easy but it sends a message clearly, which is really hard to do. It started a new wave of dystopian trends for a reason. If you haven't read it yet, READ IT.

CITY OF LOST SOULS by Cassandra Clare (The Mortal Instruments #5)

Release Date: May 8

Why: CASSANDRA CLARE. That should be enough for anybody. I'll admit,  I was almost a little upset when Clare decided she was going to write 3 more books in this series instead of keeping it at a trilogy as planned, but that doesn't stop me from being a freakish fan girl. Jace and Clary make me so amazingly happy–not to mention Alec and Magnus and Simon and–everybody. Let's just go with everybody. The last book wasn't great; it was almost like Clare was actually making stuff up to keep the series going. Now, half of the people I talk to are pretty sure she was actually doing that, but goodness don't SHOW it. Either way, sign me up for this one and all the rest. I just can't put these books down EVER.

There were just too many books for this post, so you can find part 2 here!

Countdown to 2012: The Books I Can't Wait to Read (Part 1)

Does anyone else write down book release dates on their calendar? Because I do. The second I get a date, it's scrawled on the calendar in a colored pen so fast the ink gets mussed. I got a calendar as a present and that was the first thing I did. Thank you, Goodreads. Here's a list of books I'm waiting for and their release dates! If you see one that's on yours too, SQUEE WITH ME. If there are ones that aren't on here, and that fact BLOWS your MIND, tell me in the comments! You can never get too many books.

 

JESSICA RULES THE DARK SIDE by Beth Fantasky (Jessica #2)

Release Date: Jan 10

Why: Because I'm honestly curious what Fantasky is going to do, since I was so sure the first book–Jessica's Guide to Dating the Dark Side–was a stand alone novel. It certainly didn't leave any loose ends or anything. It was genuinely interesting and a new take on vampirism, so I enjoyed it. I may or may not be a sucker for "what happens after the fairytale ending" stories. Plus, Lucian was a hot vampire. Sign me up!

 

HALLOWED by Cynthia Hand (Unearthly #2)

Release Date: January 17

Why: I linked to my review of the first book, Unearthly, which will talk more about my feelings about the book, but I will say again that I am genuinely curious how Hallowed is going to unfold, not just plot-wise but also writing style-wise. Unearthly was good but slow, though I was too intrigued by Hand's take on angelicism to put it down. I think without the time constraints that she was limited to by her own plot conventions in the first book, Hand can really do something special with this one. Or at least I'm hoping. You'll certainly be the first to know when I figure it out! I've already got it pre-ordered.

 

EVERNEATH  by Brodi Ashton

Release date: Jan 24

Why: THIS BOOK SOUNDS SO COOL. Alright, blurbs can often be very misleading, but, come on. This book has a really, really neat concept as described here. It's been advertised on inkpop and all over Goodreads, and I can't help but cave. It probably won't be on my instantly pre-ordered list because of all the series I'm excited to further and finish, but I most definitely want to pick it up when I get the chance.

 

 

WINGS OF THE WICKED by Courtney Allison Moulton (Angelfire #2)

Release Date: Jan 31

Why: Angelfire made me go gaga, plain and simple. Just…gaga. The storyline is awesome, the mythology is awesome, the twists were awesome, the romance is awesome and the guy is one I would love to date. Need I say more? Because I will, actually. The end of book one left opened up twists that I sure as heck didn't see coming and left more questions than answers, and I NEED ANSWERS. It's already been preordered and I am counting down days.

FEVER by Lauren DeStefano (The Chemical Garden #2)

Release Date: February 21st

Why: Alright, yes, my book review of the first book–Wither–wasn't completely complimentary, but I can't help but be intrigued. DeStefano handled some really tough issues really well and wrote in some great relationship stuff (and some not great, but I hold onto hope)…and the blurb talks about Rhine and Gabriel ending up in a "twisted carnival whose ringmistress keeps watch over a menagerie of girls." Maybe I'm a sucker. Maybe I'm a big sucker. But come on. This is crazy enough it just might work, and Wither was good enough that I'm not ready to give up on this world quite yet.

SPELL BOUND by Rachel Hawkins (Hex Hall #3)

Release Date: March 13

Why: WHY DO I NEED TO TELL YOU? Ahem. Anyways. Have you read these? Because you need to read these. Yes, girl at magical boarding school has been tried and tried again, but I am in LOVE. LOVE. LOVE with this books. They are interesting, they are funny, they are will written and the love interest(s) are to die for. Oh, and it is SO NOT FAIR how Hawkins just leaves you hanging again and again. …I am very impatient when I just NEED to know what happens next, you may have noticed. I tend to pre-order by month, so you know what I'll be doing March 1st instead of celebrating my father's birthday.

INSURGENT by Veronica Roth (Divergent #2)

Release Date: May 1

Why: Divergent may or may not have been overhyped for a reason. It isn't groundbreaking amazingness, but it is pretty darn near close. I've yet to read a dystopian that I've enjoyed this much. It was the realist, and the one I connected the most with. It had pretty much everything I look for in a book, plus I truly enjoy reading Roth's writing. It's easy but it sends a message clearly, which is really hard to do. It started a new wave of dystopian trends for a reason. If you haven't read it yet, READ IT.

CITY OF LOST SOULS by Cassandra Clare (The Mortal Instruments #5)

Release Date: May 8

Why: CASSANDRA CLARE. That should be enough for anybody. I'll admit,  I was almost a little upset when Clare decided she was going to write 3 more books in this series instead of keeping it at a trilogy as planned, but that doesn't stop me from being a freakish fan girl. Jace and Clary make me so amazingly happy–not to mention Alec and Magnus and Simon and–everybody. Let's just go with everybody. The last book wasn't great; it was almost like Clare was actually making stuff up to keep the series going. Now, half of the people I talk to are pretty sure she was actually doing that, but goodness don't SHOW it. Either way, sign me up for this one and all the rest. I just can't put these books down EVER.

Happy Holidays.com – How my Christmas (book) shopping was effected by the economy, the web and Goodreads

I am one of those people who, when instantly having no gift ideas for other people, thinks BOOKS. It helps that I talk to people who are book people. This year, when wondering about the gifts I should be, I actually had books in mind for certain people, mostly selfishly chosen but still. Other people I knew I wanted to give books, I just didn't have an idea. It helped that the two people I had no clue about had a Goodreads account so I could stalk their reading tastes.

 Yeah, I stalked bad. I was all over their to-read list like ketchup on french fries. Multiple times, too, when I couldn't find a single book on the to-read list I was even vaguely familiar with and therefore had to come up with some sort of feel for the list so I could pick something I'd read that was vaguely related. Still pretty sure I failed, there, but we'll see what the reaction is at Christmas. The entire point of this is that, without Goodreads–this book-centered Facebook–I actually had a clue what I was going to get these people and I was glad for it.

But then I had a problem. I HAD NO BOOKSTORES.

Seriously! My closest chain was a Borders, which cleared out weeks ago. My local indie, as small as it was, always had the big-ticket items in stock and could order whatever I needed, but that recently went out of business as well after years and years of losing money. This had been a long time coming (in fact, the store had been losing so much money over the years but kept in business so long that the IRS was looking into them being a tax shelter), but it still reduced me to tears. Plus, now I had NOWHERE TO SHOP FOR BOOKS. NO PLACE TO BROWSE. (Plus, my indie had been carrying my books. Now what was I going to do to sell these suckers?) It was the stuff of my nightmares, quite literally. And now my Christmas shopping plans were quite defunct.

Now, instantly you are saying, "…online shopping, you dummy." But here's the thing: I HATE shopping for books online. There are no words that adequately describe how much that makes me ill. Don't even get me started on eReaders. Just see the side picture. Book stores and libraries have been my heavens and havens for as long as I can remember, and they are what I worship–not electronic buying and reading. Browsing bookstores is a favorite pastime of mine when I've got a place to do it. All this means, however, was that it took me forever to come to terms with the fact that I had to order all my presents ONLINE.

This, of course, made me cranky and late, which made me extra cranky. Then the books came late and I had to frantically wrap and yadda yadda. The insult to injury came that, when asked what I wanted for Christmas, my usual answer of "gift card to the bookstore" died on my lips. It was no longer a gift that existed, yet it was a gift I had lived off of on birthdays and Christmases alike. I had to ask for Amazon gift cards. It felt like I was spewing acid.

Even now, I can't decide if the internet is helping or harming me right now. I know that without it, I wouldn't have Christmases presents for 75% of my recipients and I wouldn't have known what to get them to boot. However, I also know that it's the internet that shoved my little indie out of business, and for that I will never forgive it. Well, unless it gives me a bookstore. Then we'd be even.

I Want to Hear from YOU!

So, first things first – the blog has a new look! I swear this wasn't just because I was bored. I swear it wasn't. Honestly, I was looking for a new look for the blog, and I found one. I don't know how many of you are WordPress bloggers but… Man, a lot of their themes just look so … boring. Took me a while to find one with all the things I want that looked pretty sweet. Don't worry, content isn't changing or anything but … what do you think? Is this one better than the old one? Or do you want the old one back? Talk to me – I swear I don't bite! ^.^

…okay, I just might be vaguely insane…

BUT, I am an insane girl that likes books. But I am out of books. And therefore liable to go MORE insane. We can't inflict that on the world, can we? So … drop me a line, guys. Tell me what books have BLOWN YOUR MIND so I can read them too! Even better – drop me a line and give me a suggestion for a book to review! I will seperate the crappy from the amazing so that you don't have to! Yes, I'm that desperate. C'mon, guys, give me a hand! Load me up! Comment away below! I wanna look like this guy:

Review: Shatter Me by Tahereh Mafi

Shatter Me by Tahereh Mafi

4 stars

No one knows why Juliette's touch is fatal, but The Reestablishment has plans for her. Plans to use her as a weapon.

But Juliette has a plan of her own.

After a lifetime without freedom, she's finally discovering a strength to fight back for the very first time–and to find a future with the one boy she thought she'd lost forever.

 

Buckle in, ladies and gents. This is going to be one heck of a book review. Why? Because I have so, so much to say about this book–and, trust me, not all of it is good.

Shatter Me was a book I was dying to pick up. SEVEN DIFFERENT AGENTS went flying after this manuscript. Seven. And this is Mafi's first novel. SEVEN. A regular author is lucky to find one. So, clearly, this book had to have something LIFE CHANGING in here. So of course I had to read it.

The beginning of the book didn't disappoint me (my personal opinion is going to be part of something I explain later on, hence the constant repetition of this fact). All I could think at the time was, "Whoa. WHOA. GUYS. OHMYGOD WHOA." This lasted until halfway into the book, when my pure and utter entrancement with her writing style gave way to the reviewer in me who watches for every little slip up a YA author can make. Mafi made a HUGE one, one that I've discussed before with fire–and now have to discuss again. But anyways, after that, I couldn't get back into her writing style. I started to evaluate it clinically, and reading reviews on Goodreads made it clear to me why this book–this amazingly written awesomeness that wowed me into submission–is struggling to hold a 4 star rating.

Mafi's writing style doesn't belong on a YA shelf.

Okay, that sounds harsh on both her and YA readership, but in general that fact is true. I hate to bring back up Twilight but–whatever you think of the book–you have to agree that the writing style there is ridiculously simple. And it's a worldwide phenomenon. Those two things are related. YA readers read YA because they don't want to be bogged down in the complex, fantastical sentences that run amuck in, say, literary fantasy. One thing I've always heard said about writing YA is keep it to the point.

Halfway through the book, I remarked to my also writer boyfriend that I wanted to write down every one of her unique descriptors to steal for my own, but that would mean paraphrasing the whole book. It was upsetting to realize that that's not a good thing. Shatter Me caught all this attention from ADULTS. Adults who read YA all the time and are just begging for something as refreshingly different as Mafi's. Personally, as a writer myself, I would like to worship the pages her writing style waltzes over. But the typical young adult browsing the shelves that Shatter Me sits on just don't have the patience for the way it's written, and that makes me sad.

But now you are wondering, why is the book given four stars here? Why not five, if I love it so much? It's because halfway through the book, Mafi violated one of the worst clichés every in YA literature, and I cannot forgive her for it.

Uh oh. I think I am going to rant after all.

Romance is one of the biggest things in YA books. Doesn't matter what the genre, it is ALWAYS THERE. I don't mind this; sometimes I even quite enjoy it. But I am still at a loss as to why adults think that 99% of females see some hot guy and instantly fall eternally in love with him. And you know? I'd be fine with it sometimes, because some girls are over dramatic, but ALL THE TIME? And WORSE, when the guy is also instantly like, "You are mine forever." PEOPLE. SERIOUSLY. STOP. I literally can't take it anymore. Shatter Me was one of the worst offenders of this I've seen in a long time. Juliette and Adam haven't seen each other in THREE YEARS, since the NINTH GRADE, and they're professing their eternal love for each other within five seconds, and it includes several speeches about how the other embodies all the strength, beauty and/or goodness that the speaker thought was no longer left in the world. Someone shoot me.

Granted, Mafi's writing style has already given Shatter Me a otherworldly, unreal feel to it, so I would have honestly been willing to accept a little bit of that. But…the way they talk to each other? No. Nonono. I've had a boyfriend for eight months, and I STILL wouldn't tell him, as he was dying, "You have to get better so I can memorize every inch of your body with my lips" (or at least that's the general sense of the quote). Just…no.

You know what's worse? I honestly don't know what to think of this book. The thing between Adam and Juliette burns me something fierce, and sometimes I want to give it three stars. I won't give it any less because of the way Mafi writes, and sometimes because of that I want to give it more. Sometimes, for brief moments, I can forgive Adam and Juliette because their love just adds to the overall exaggerated tone of the book. I just…honestly don't know what to do with Shatter Me. I fell in love with Mafi, but I came to dislike the book. I didn't know that HAPPENED. Half the reason I am so angry with it is because I love it just as much as I hate it and I can't freaking pick a side. I will certainly be picking up the sequel because I can't NOT, but I am going to send out this one wish: Please let Mafi write a book worth her. She could do SO MUCH and have writing that just blows the mind but…that's all wasted on Shatter Me and it's audience.

Books to Movies: Why We Always Hate the Casting

What with so many books being turned into movies these days, I figured now would be a good time to talk about this, since I don't have NaNoWriMo or a book review to talk about for the first time in ages. Actually, I just finished The Help by Kathryn Stockett, too, and started foaming at the mouth to get ahold of that movie. I was watching the trailer–which I had done before reading the book, but this was my first time after–and I just thought…

Wow. This doesn't look how I pictured it.

I was genuinely confused, too. I love the actors that The Help has in it (I love you, Emma Stone!), and upon first hearing about the movie and seeing the cast, I was pretty convinced that they had picked exactly the right people to play in the movie. So what had changed?

The problem is, we readers will NEVER be happy with who is cast to play in books-to-movies. There will always be something about the person that is just…off. We don't know what would make the right person to play our favorite character, but we do know that whoever they've picked is just wrong. We can feel it the second we take a glance at them.

When we read, we make the characters into ideals. Whether we visualize the characters or not, we KNOW who these characters to the point that we don't need to picture them. Characters are not pictures too us–there are no pictures in books besides what our minds create. They are emotions, they are ideals, they are symbols. Asking a mortal person to be all that is, when you think about it, really just too much.

When you think about it further, this extends to even physical qualities as well. I never really visualize the characters in books too deeply. I keep my imaginings of characters to the forms of the soul, if you will. But even I had an extremely negative reaction when I heard that Jamie Campbell Bower had been cast as Jace in the movie they're making of City of Bones, the first book in Cassandra Clare's Mortal Instruments series.

This, by the way, is a picture of him AS Jace. (Notice the gold eyes? Thank you www.cityofbonesmovie.com!)

"You are not Jace," I told his picture. At the time, I couldn't tell you why, I just knew. JCB is not my Jace. Later I would say that it's because he looks too young, the hair is all wrong and he's just not freaking hot enough. But you know what the biggest problem was? The movie had put a face to a soul that I had made into an idealistic god in my imagination. (I mean, if you've read the books you've done this. It's JACE.) I'm not sure I would have been happy with ANY actor they had picked, because I had such an image-that-is-not-an-image of my Jace. Who knows, maybe JCB is your Jace. That's another problem with casting. Casting departments have the loathsome task of trying to match millions of images of different readers' Jaces. Yikes.

That said, I am more than willing to give Jaime Campbell Bower the benefit of the doubt. I have to put my faith in the idea that the casting departments know the real secret. They know that they will never make everyone happy with the look of their casting choices, so look can only be half of the equation. They have to test the actors and find the person that FEELS most like Jace. Of course, this feel is different for everyone, which is why there are casting TEAMS. Hopefully they all have read the books or at least have an idea to know what they're looking for. It's a lot of faith to rest in a bunch of strangers, I know, but let's face it. They know the wrath of unhappy throngs of fan girls and boys. They don't want to be tarred and feathered. I will forgive JCB for his face if he manages a convincing Jace swagger and smile. I will probably melt and squeal.

Well, not probably. Definitely.