I love LOOKING FOR ALASKA, but the more I think about how Green tried to dismantle the Manic Pixie Dream Girl stereotype, the more IA Problematic Fave
I love LOOKING FOR ALASKA, but the more I think about how Green tried to dismantle the Manic Pixie Dream Girl stereotype, the more I realise he didn't. Alaska's death was used as a device in the protagonist's character arc. And that's still MPDG. It's misogyny at its simplest: a woman's existence and experiences being used as a means for a man to discover something about himself. See also: Anakin Skywalker's entire fucking character arc. Mother's death. Padme's death. Women dying for the sake of men is gross misogyny. LOOKING FOR ALASKA reduces Alaska Young to a figurehead. Even the title says it. A quest in some kind. This woman dies while being sought. She is a token for the purpose of educating a young man. This chapter of his life is defined by her existence and her ceasing to exist. Women are not there to be used for men's purpose. Even if they are full characters, how you frame them in a narrative MATTERS. Like, the protag takes Alaska's death so personally that I hate him. Good writing craft, undeniably, but very problematic characters....more
This is an incredible book, an incredible story, an incredible message, an incredible writer. Angie Thomas's writing has one of the strongest voices IThis is an incredible book, an incredible story, an incredible message, an incredible writer. Angie Thomas's writing has one of the strongest voices I've ever encountered in fiction. THUG is probably the most important book I've ever read, too.
I didn't totally love and adore this book for two reasons: the first, I felt very outside of the age demographic. It was very clear to me that this book, targeted for teens, knows its demographic and writes to those teens. Which is a good thing.
The second reason was a specific moment and character relationship that sat very, very uncomfortably for me due to personal experiences negatively mirroring the events in the book. Starr says if she weren't straight, she'd date a fellow basketball player. Starr makes a few comments like this about the girl in the first half of the book. At the time, I kinda frowned for a second and then continued reading; but by the end, I felt as if that girl were there only to sorta... be objectified? That might not be the right word. She didn't make another significant appearance after Starr establishes that this other character is cool and would be romantic material under different circumstances. I thoroughly appreciate Starr explicitly stating her sexuality, but it felt like it was done at the expense of same-sex attraction.
Still giving it a 5-star, though.
This is an incredibly important book and everyone needs to read it. I look forward to Thomas's next book, regardless of what she chooses to write about. Her writing voice drew me in completely and I read this book in literally 2 nights, and I'm a slow reader. I hope her next narrator has the same degree of deep voice that Starr has!...more
This book caters to all of my interests. Complex characters. Race acting not as a fantasy trope, but as part of the political system. Non-conventionalThis book caters to all of my interests. Complex characters. Race acting not as a fantasy trope, but as part of the political system. Non-conventional views on romance (from same-sex relationships to questioning the notion of "The One"). Matriarchy. Magic. Mystery.
It has been a while since I've cared this much about a fantasy series.
As a reader of Chima's earlier work (her debut--The Warrior Heir--was my introduction to her writing shortly after it released in 2006), and as a fellow writer, I am truly blown away by the growth Chima has achieved for her craft in the four years between that first novel and this wonderful story. Her characters have improved significantly, becoming much more complex and human in comparison to that first book of The Heir Chronicles. She has worked within fantasy tropes to create something refreshing, while still remembering the real world audience she gives the story to.
I stopped caring about the characters, especially when (view spoiler)[Nehemia died for the white protagonist's sake. (hide spoiler)] Please stop that.I stopped caring about the characters, especially when (view spoiler)[Nehemia died for the white protagonist's sake. (hide spoiler)] Please stop that. It's a really horrible trope and Caelelananeana, or whatever the fuck Aelin's fake name is, doesn't have enough personality for me to care to read the rest of the series. It took over 700 pages for the "twist" to be revealed--and maybe it's just me, but I hate when a twist is revealed to the reader and the characters at the same time, especially for a book in third-person MULTIPLE points of view. I much prefer a secret that gives the character agony to hide, which the reader knows, than one character being the conduit for a reader's explicit knowledge.
I read the summaries for the next few books and... to be honest, I'm glad I'm not wasting my time on them because the plot seems to fall apart and the characters all seem to be the same type of bratty.
Also, for anyone saying this is a Cinderella retelling? It's not. Loosely inspired, at best, but a "retelling"? Nah. Clocks and midnight hours and a few balls and blue dresses do not a Cinderella story make....more
This was a fast read! 2.5 stars. I don't know why, but I couldn't enjoy this one as much as the first. The plotting was... kind of weak, in terms of tThis was a fast read! 2.5 stars. I don't know why, but I couldn't enjoy this one as much as the first. The plotting was... kind of weak, in terms of the minor characters and the central conflict of Nalia's identity. The ending was also really iffy for me--I feel like the entire scene happened in order for one character's arc, and the Syrena behaviour in the final scene kind of... negated the conspiracy and plotting that dominated the whole book.
The writing wasn't markedly improved compared to the first in the series. But I will say this: Square Fish/Macmillan books? You need a better or additional copy editors. OF POSEIDON had numerous "its/it's" mishaps, and this one had a "who's expression" and "I have a foot I injury." These are minor things, and didn't really influence my rating. I'm not very fond of Soul Mate, True Love, "your fish tail is sexy and makes me hot" romance, and I'm not invested in the series' characters. I'm a little hesitant to read OF NEPTUNE, but I shall do it anyway....more
This would have been a 4-star, except for 1) the ending; 2) Fayre being able to learn things by observation--not just physical skills, but painting toThis would have been a 4-star, except for 1) the ending; 2) Fayre being able to learn things by observation--not just physical skills, but painting too--but not be able to read more than she ended up being able to. Come on. If you can learn to hunt, swim, and paint by observation and trial and error, reading shouldn't be as far off as it was.
This would have made an excellent smut manga, by the way, so if anyone could get on that... Thanks. Got enough cliché supernatural/fantasy and sex-focused elements to be smut for sure.
Also, I was really annoyed by some of the turns-of-phrase that were repeated. Bowels turning watery being the big one. There are other ways to describe dread. The writing itself was good... but a tad repetitive like that. Drifted into over-the-top poetics a few too many times for my liking.
Anyway, this was a fun read. Once I looked at it from my vice's POV (aka smut), it was a lot more enjoyable. Not that it was excessively sexual--not even close--but the themes are very in-line with the multitude of erotic manga I've read....more
This was a nicely fluffy romance, but I have a few problems with it that have definitely stopped it from being a 5-star.
At one point, Emma uses the teThis was a nicely fluffy romance, but I have a few problems with it that have definitely stopped it from being a 5-star.
At one point, Emma uses the term "schizo" (an offensive slur, first and foremost) to describe her acceptance of the shifting reality. Saying something is real when it's fantastical directly goes against what schizophrenia is--delusions and an extremely difficult mental illness to cope with. This is kind of on-par with characters saying they're "so OCD" about something that is unrelated to actual OCD. In a way, it spreads misinformation and validates the slur. (The phrase is "As schizo as it sounds, I know this is real" on page 111 when Emma communicates with fish.)
Also, and this isn't much of a spoiler because it happens in the first, like, 10 pages: I'm so tired of Black characters dying to further white protagonist's character arcs. I'll admit, Chloe did get some characterisation as a popular, protective best friend on the track team. But I was still very uncomfortable with her death being used as a catalyst for events that Emma has to face.
There were also at least two instances where the copyeditor missed "it's" needing to be corrected to "its."
Anyway.
Aside from those troubles, this book reminded me of some of my favourite trope-filled shoujo romance manga--and that's a good thing to me. It's predictable and the plots are always more intriguing than the characters. In terms of writing craft, I loved the dual-perspective AND duel-POV. Using first and third person together in the same book is tricky, and even more so when it's from two different characters, but Anna Banks did it beautifully, thanks to the structure of the story. The writing itself--style, voice, tone--was good, and Galen and Emma had distinct POVs. I laughed in lots of places: some that were intended to be humorous, and some that probably weren't.
I was pleased to see older characters, too. I get a little tired of 16-year-olds in my fantastical stories, so these 18+ folks were a refreshing change!
I'm glad this is a series and not a standalone. That has definitely influenced my rating; first books in series are usually there to set up character, which this book did okay, as well as the plots. The characters are a little flat to me and fit nicely into archetypes, but the plot interests me much more than them. I'm excited for OF TRITON and where the story goes, now that Emma knows the truth!...more
The author tried to put too much in and this book is an absolute mess. Native narratives. PTSD. Shitty pseudo-psychology (Myers-Briggs personality typThe author tried to put too much in and this book is an absolute mess. Native narratives. PTSD. Shitty pseudo-psychology (Myers-Briggs personality types aren't modern or applicable psychology). Adoption. Parallel universes. Time travel. All those annoying pop culture references. Like, I'm not even sorry, this book is not good. There is too much and nothing works together.
Also, the copy editing was absolutely terrible. This is from my own book design history, but for the love of God, if you spell it "Megan" then "Meghan" and 5 lines down it goes back to "Megan"... or "La Salle" to "LaSalle" on the same page... I'm not going to enjoy reading it. Such a lack of attention. There were more things, like punctuation, later on. And I stopped reading on page 160....more
UNBELIEVABLY GOOD. This is one of the best debut YA fantasties I've ever read. Tahir makes excellent use of common tropes (especially for fantasy debuUNBELIEVABLY GOOD. This is one of the best debut YA fantasties I've ever read. Tahir makes excellent use of common tropes (especially for fantasy debuts, let's be honest) and places them in a rich, exciting world, involving nuanced and complex characters. I fear for their lives.
Can't wait to get A TORCH AGAINST THE NIGHT from the library soon!...more
Alright, this started out decent, but as it progressed, it got more complex and confusing. Great sound techs and the voice acting was alright (fake acAlright, this started out decent, but as it progressed, it got more complex and confusing. Great sound techs and the voice acting was alright (fake accents are damn annoying though). But the writing? The characters? This story felt like it wasn't fleshed out beforehand, which I think was necessary for such a complex plot. Also the end of season 1 (which is when I'm writing this review) doesn't make me want to continue listening. Characters just became puppets to portray some weird global morality and ethical code that just doesn't make sense with the characters I've (somewhat) gotten to know over many many hours....more
Disclaimer: I got this book from the library without knowing ANYTHING about it. I didn't know it was a romance, didn't know when it was set, didn't knDisclaimer: I got this book from the library without knowing ANYTHING about it. I didn't know it was a romance, didn't know when it was set, didn't know anything. It's the first of Ahern's books that I've read.
And it was garbage. I don't like insta-love at the best of times, but it can be done right; and this book? It was done terribly, awfully, eye-rolling-ly bad.
This whole book felt like it was still an early draft, with stereotypical characters that really didn't have any depth to them. The plot was basically: an isolated girl, living in the idyllic woods, reveals her secrets; gets a taste for literal worldwide fame; then goes back to her idyllic life with a terrible boyfriend she insta-loved one day. It's about a documentary crew, but then it's about a weird talent show, then it's about romance, then it's about a murder mystery. It just felt like it was trying too hard at.... everything.
Solomon is the epitome of toxic masculinity. He's the entitled guy who feels possessive of whomever he loves--think Ross Gellar, but instead of being whiny about dinosaurs, he's angry, aggressive, and absolutely violent. He made me uncomfortable the whole book. There were no redeeming qualities about him.
And Laura/Lyrebird? Half the time, it seemed like she was a stereotypical "wild child" with no worldly knowledge; but the other half of the time, she was this wise woodswoman who made magical sounds (which she is sometimes aware of and sometimes not; she can practice the sounds, but she also doesn't realise she's doing them? It was so silly). She's 26 for god's sake, and the book is set in 2016. She was born in 1990 and has grown up with media and television--she says she watched TV and read books growing up, even before moving to the cottage at age 16--but it didn't seem/feel that her character reflected that culture at all. She had no depth.
I was mildly interested in Bo, but didn't get a lot of the story from her. She could have been interesting if the author had written more about her or from her perspective, but nope, we get a forced shitty romance between Solomon "I throw things and fantasise about assaulting people" Fallon and Laura "Am I mystical? Am I self-aware at all?" Button.
There's the character Rachel who has a WIFE! named, uhh, Susie I think? Rachel is basically written out of the book because her wife is pregnant, then in labour (they have a son named Brennan who is used to further the "magical" feelings that Laura emits; AKA, she mimics a baby cry and people get all paternal about it). No brownie points for having a queer character, because Rachel and her wife are basically plopped in to take up space, left out for parts 2 and 3, then brought in at the end THE DAY AFTER SUSIE GIVES BIRTH, so that Laura can mimic the newborn's cries. So stupid.
The writing quality was not very good. Lots of head hopping between characters, with no order to it, and many, many awkward sentences. Like the first example, below, of a paragraph I almost skipped over because it was an 80-WORD SENTENCE. So much passive tense. I don't know if it's a style thing, either, but the subject-verb agreements for collective nouns was REALLY bugging me.
Here are two instances that made me contemplate DNF'ing the book: a racist statement and a rape joke with a shitty cover-up afterward.
(Brace yourself for these TWO sentences.)
Previous formats of the show saw eliminated contestants who'd received the executioner's thumbs down leave in a cage carried off by gladiators, but this was abandoned after the first season when viewers protested at the offensive image of a ninety-two-year-old mother of eleven, whose children and grandchildren were in the audience, being carted off after her rendition of 'Danny Boy', and a crying ten-year-old boy whose magic trick had failed had a panic attack when forced to enter the cage. The execution cage, however, remained popular in a Middle Eastern version of the franchise.
(pg. 191)
What an unnecessary bit of racism. It's so offensive that the Irish audience has a stew, but it's popular in "a Middle Eastern version"? Fuck off!
___
Perhaps Rory realises he's losing Solomon's anger, that Solomon is no longer the underdog, because then he scrapes the barrel. 'She's a great little ride though,' he says, to his mother's dismay and a yell from his dad.
(pg. 330)
A rape joke. A fucking rape joke about Laura, who was blackout drunk. BUT THEN! It's followed up with this, a page later:
'There's such a thing as consent, probably not a word you're familiar with...' Cara explains. 'It requires the woman saying yes. It's a real thing. Other men actually have sex with women who aren't locked out of their heads. Women who can see the faces of their lovers. Now I know it's not usually how you operate, but--' 'Shut the fuck up, Cara.'
(pg. 332)
Ms. Ahern, you're still contributing to rape culture when you include a rape joke. I don't give a damn if you have a (weak) spiel about consent in response to it, because you still included the joke. You can't just include a little soundbite about consent, which is dismissed by the character who MADE the rape joke. Just gross. So gross.
Don't read the book. Find a better insta-love romance than this one, because this was garbage....more
There's a lot of insight to take away from this book, but also a lot of bullshit. I hate when self-help authors write as if their experience is enoughThere's a lot of insight to take away from this book, but also a lot of bullshit. I hate when self-help authors write as if their experience is enough to give them the same clout as a professional in, say, neuroscience. Lots of references, but as a lit major and editor, I know that anyone can find sources that will hold the same bias as their argument. There were some useful things I took away from this book, and also a lot (and I mean a *lot*) of claims that I shook my head at and doubted.
I wonder if Kathryn Hansen has had any experience with mindfulness-based therapy, because it does exist, and it relates into a lot of the "detachment" she discusses regarding her disordered eating. I've taken mindfulness based cognitive behaviour therapy, and it's pretty much the same process by which she overcame her binge eating and urges to binge.
This book could have been a lot shorter with some better editing. It can be summarised as follows: - dieting leads to eating disorders - bingeing is a response to starvation or perceived starvation - some therapies don't work for binge eating
I wouldn't recommend this book to anyone who isn't a binge eater. It's very much niche information for people with that type of disordered eating. This book may actually make someone with anorexia or orthorexia fall further into their restrictive habits and disordered eating....more
Absolutely incredible. Of course it has its problems--racist stereotyes in coded mythical beings, for example, and a downright plethora of unnecessariAbsolutely incredible. Of course it has its problems--racist stereotyes in coded mythical beings, for example, and a downright plethora of unnecessarily long tales--but it is an incredible end to The Lord of the Rings and has a great many of important and (unfortunately) relevant themes for war, violence, and power. I'm so glad I finally finished this series....more
This is a great third book in the Shattered Realms series. Building off the previous two stories (FLAMECASTER and SHADOWCASTER), we meet Evan and DestThis is a great third book in the Shattered Realms series. Building off the previous two stories (FLAMECASTER and SHADOWCASTER), we meet Evan and Destin in STORMCASTER. First off, love the subtle gay rep with Evan! Second, multiple point of view is so difficult to do and often difficult to follow along with, but this story executes it so well. There are so many points of view and perspectives to keep up with, which are brought in from the last two books, and I was never lost. I love the short chapters. It's like the entire book was slowly setting up dominoes--very interesting dominoes, with romance, political intrigue, and world building--and I wanted to see how they would fall. Then, the last chapters, the first domino is pushed. And we only see how they fall in DEATHCASTER, coming in Spring 2019....more
I see myself in Vhalla so much and I love it. It has the right tropes for me, including the commoner/royal bond, and twisty trickery in the justice syI see myself in Vhalla so much and I love it. It has the right tropes for me, including the commoner/royal bond, and twisty trickery in the justice system. I love me a corrupted Senate (in fictional worlds, because they often get taken down, unlike the real world...). On to the next one!...more
This book was such a comfort during these stressful times. Each tale felt like something I could hear a friend telling me happened to them or a friendThis book was such a comfort during these stressful times. Each tale felt like something I could hear a friend telling me happened to them or a friend of theirs. It was like I had some degree of personal knowability to them....more
I've read early drafts of this story and I am SO EXCITED for it to be published! No ARCs out, but if you've beta-read the latest from Briana Morgan, yI've read early drafts of this story and I am SO EXCITED for it to be published! No ARCs out, but if you've beta-read the latest from Briana Morgan, you know it's going to be witchy and queer and exciting....more
Still one of the best stories I have ever, ever read. An incredible tale of belonging, friendship, and familial love. Home is not a place--it is a feeStill one of the best stories I have ever, ever read. An incredible tale of belonging, friendship, and familial love. Home is not a place--it is a feeling, and The Moorchild emphasises that beautifully....more
A fairly comprehensive introduction to solitary Wicca! I learned a lot about the spiritual practice/religion. I think I'm lacking some other knowledgeA fairly comprehensive introduction to solitary Wicca! I learned a lot about the spiritual practice/religion. I think I'm lacking some other knowledge about coven or traditional Wicca that would complement this book better; there's a lot of "this isn't what people normally do" with regards to contrasting Cunningham's info on solitary to the traditional way of doing things, but without really expanding on what the traditional way is like. Lots of practical things to do as well. I'd likely come back to this in my research on Wicca, time and again...more
After the halfway mark of this book, it felt fairly repetitive. It could have been a lot shorter and to the point. The advice itself was mixed, in my After the halfway mark of this book, it felt fairly repetitive. It could have been a lot shorter and to the point. The advice itself was mixed, in my opinion. Some of it would be a good way to promote more love in a romantic relationship. But other strategies reminded me of codependent behaviour that shouldn't be encouraged.
Also it was pretty heteronormative, with one piece of advice/3-page chapter mentioning how "/platonic/ opposite sex friendships" are a huge source of jealousy and insecurity in relationships... (But only hetero ones, because that's all this book discussed.)...more
I'm reminded of so many other fantasy stories while reading this, so Chima manages to, once again, use tropes in her genre without reducing them to clI'm reminded of so many other fantasy stories while reading this, so Chima manages to, once again, use tropes in her genre without reducing them to cliches. I have three concerns/critiques for FLAMECASTER:
1) As is often the case with fantasy series, the first book feels like a set-up for the larger story. For me, personally, this is very hit-or-miss, as I believe that books should stand on their own, even within a series. This book had very little plotline to stand alone on, and made up for it in the development of the characters of Ash and Jenna.
2) The insta-love was... not my thing. I really hope it is, in line with one of the character's beliefs, a taste to savour in the moment. I appreciate how it was constructed, but I really, really hope by the end of the series, they aren't all soul-matey. This one is entirely my own preferences.
3) The scope of this novel was very large. Multiple years passed, and there was a lot of wide brush strokes to show that passage of time. I'm not sure how I feel about this--it was good for some reasons, but not so great for other reasons. I didn't get the fast-paced excitement I've gotten in other works by Chima--within and without the Seven Realms--but the pacing was very apt for introducing a new cast of characters. In a way, readers were given backstory in the narrative, rather than the normal flashback, so we read in chronological order from origins and motives to the final outcomes.
TL;DR: A character-driven introduction to the new spin-off series, with a blossoming insta-love that I hope blooms and wilts. The story wasn't fast-paced enough, but it maintained linear storytelling instead of cliche flashbacks.
I'm excited to read the next book. There was so much to FLAMECASTER that was left open-ended and I need to know the fates of characters, the reveals to subplots, what the rest of the royal family was up to, and most of all... more about the Flamecaster. Take me to Carthis and Empress Celestine!...more
I was tempted to put down the book and call it an unfortunate match that wasn't meant to be. But I kept reading, and I was not disappointed.
The first I was tempted to put down the book and call it an unfortunate match that wasn't meant to be. But I kept reading, and I was not disappointed.
The first 25% of the book, which is hands-down the most crucial part of a book for me (if I don't continue reading past the 1/4-mark, the book will be set aside for years), fell a little flat for me. There was a disconnect between myself and the story, with Alex and the setting, that I feared would follow through the rest of the book.
Not to mention, my edition has a bunch of proofreading errors that managed to take me out of the story. I know they're small things, but coming across, "My voice is a horse scream" is just... so jarring.
However!!
Once we got into Los Lagos, I truly felt the story happening. Also, I finally connected with Alex and was nodding along with her, her struggles, her fears. Once Alex and I accepted the magic, the story improved significantly.
If the book drags for you in the beginning, just keep reading. I promise it'll pay off. I'm not a fast reader and I managed this book in two days, so that's a testament to how quickly I got sucked in....more
Discourse was horrendous, but what else can you expect when you're reading a book that has had 500 years for English linguistics and grammar to shift?Discourse was horrendous, but what else can you expect when you're reading a book that has had 500 years for English linguistics and grammar to shift? I had to read this for my Apocalyptic, Dystopian, and Utopian Fiction class. If it weren't an assigned reading, I wouldn't have gotten past the 5th page.
A difficult read for me because of the way it was written, but the content is still something to think about.
The content was interesting though, even if I don't fully agree with what More says. The concept of a perfect settlement, especially through More's narrative, raises an intense discussion.
There are a few discrepancies that I'd have liked to see explained. Who builds statues? How are they learned in architecture and fine art if these trades aren't emphasised as much as agriculture, politics, and religion? How can this island exist in duplicate form when a multitude of its practises rely on the existence of imperfect civilisations outside it? If all the people wear the same garb and value none any higher for their wardrobe, why are the priests exempt?--this last question can probably relate to More's hardcore religiousness, but it's a discrepancy in the civilisation nonetheless. ...more
A long and slow fantasy that drew me in over time. This book has taken me ages to get into--I'd tried reading it before, but didn't have the attentionA long and slow fantasy that drew me in over time. This book has taken me ages to get into--I'd tried reading it before, but didn't have the attention to properly give to it--but I'm so glad I finally read it.
This fantasy is on par with the vast world of Tolkien's Middle-earth while being entirely different, and a little less racist, even if it's still a giant sausage fest with one female character having any agency and the other two existing to showcase tragedy and suffering. I felt some of the races of humans to be stereotyped a bit, as well as being stereotypically coded versions of current cultures (Celtic and Indigenous being two of them). But, as with most fantasy novels written by white men, I don't expect progressive diversity from them.
The story is ripe with conflict and tension on every single level--the characters butt heads with each other, the politics of the world are much like ours and don't get along, and nature and the setting are hellbent on doing their thing (which is always what humans don't want). The protagonist is one of those "chosen ones" who rejects his calling, but I have a feeling that someone else has a higher calling than him.
I haven't started the sequel yet, but I'm so excited to see where the trilogy goes....more
The characters were flat. Their motives were no way near strong enough. The writing craft was inconsistent--sometimes poetic, but often made2.5 Rating
The characters were flat. Their motives were no way near strong enough. The writing craft was inconsistent--sometimes poetic, but often made me cringe with how it read like a choppy first draft.
The story was okay. The pacing was also just okay. The setting was outrageously unclear and confusing.
But my biggest issue was the "given" in the protagonists' home. The majority of the conflict came from humans' bigotry, fear, and hatred of souls... Which seems to just get put aside (after at least 6 years of cultivation) because one soul has entered their community. Those prejudices don't go away when 1) you start getting to know someone through minimal interaction and 2) a guy with a gun tells you to suck it up.
Does Meyer even know how prejudice works? Hatred doesn't "settle down" after a few weeks of seeing someone in your exclusive community. That was my biggest issue. Only one character had any vindictive behaviour, any manifestation of prejudice--which is totally swept away with the ending.
And the ending was atrocious and disturbing and not at all appropriate. Meyer, please stop with your statutory rape enabling.
Anyway, I'd say give this a read if you don't mind a 600+ page book of fluff. This is straight up YA that is excessively long and makes you wish there were more books with this concept, if only because you want to read something better....more
First off, this book wasn't necessary. In a series, there's generally one major overarching plot from one conflict 1.5 stars. Alright, where to begin?
First off, this book wasn't necessary. In a series, there's generally one major overarching plot from one conflict or antagonist--think Harry Potter and Voldemort, Hunger Games and the Capitol, and Twilight and Bella's desire to become a vampire. The Syrena Legacy seemed to lack one main conflict. I couldn't tell if it was Half-Breeds' legacy for the ocean, or the relationship between the Royals and Half-Breeds/Humans, or th conflict with Jagen--or it could have been Emma and Galen's relationship. I just couldn't really understand the point of having a series, that's all. It didn't need to be three books long.
This book brought up answers to questions that I didn't have or need, such as details about Jagen and backstory with Poseidon and Triton. I don't know if that was an individual thing, but now I have even more questions thanks to the story in OF NEPTUNE.
On to the more detailed problems...
1. The stigma-enforcing language regarding mental health. Every time Banks wrote something related to OCD, personality disorders, anxiety, trauma, or any other mental illness, it was in an inaccurate or stigmatising way. For instance, Reed at one point is impatient to get going and Emma wonders if he has OCD because of that... What even?? Another point had Reed telling Galen about Tyrden, saying he was a cruel dictator, and then labels him as someone with a personality disorder. I had to put down the book each time I came across one of these. I have mental illness and it is not fun and barely tolerable to feel a jab from an author who doesn't understand mental illness and then uses it unnecessarily in their writing. I was incredibly uncomfortable.
2. Reed and Emma was a prime example of normalising female silence and tolerance of uncomfortable sexual and romantic pressures from men. Half the time I forgot that Reed was 20 because he comes off as so much more immature. And at the end, when Emma wants him and Galen to be friends, I just wanted to copy-paste all of her previous phases of discomfort and show them like "You and Reed shouldn't be friends." I don't care if they ended up becoming friends: I don't trust any man who repeatedly makes a woman uncomfortable. Emma herself also normalised this behaviour by, in her narration, wondered if she was leading him on and a whole bunch of other "Is this my fault? I'm so guilty" crap.
3. All of the editors and copy editors need to up their game, because this book had so many technical errors!! How can you spell "whirlpool" wrong twice and then correct the third time? This series overall had so many problems with just the technicalities of grammar and punctuation. "Formerly" means "previously" while "formally" means "officially"--like, I couldn't believe how often these errors appeared. It makes me think there wasn't enough care put into the book. (In the acknowledgements, Banks says that "you" the author are ready to put your book into the world by copy edits time... I disagree in the case of this series. It was not ready.) I also didn't have an uncorrected proof: this edition needs to be reprinted and those technical errors addressed. I Tweeted some pictures, but those weren't even all of the ones I saw.
I was so disappointed. I enjoyed the first book a lot, and was looking forward to a series, but the story worsened and the characters became even more boring as OF TRITON's ending neared. I wanted to see more of Rayna and Toraf, but instead I got a cliche setting with impossible water systems (seriously, Galen sensing salt water in a river in land-locked Tennessee?) and a """romantic interest""" or """second option""" that reminded me why I have to convince my female friends that men's uncomfortable actions are not caused by the women. The epilogue was eye-roll-worthy, but that's because of my own personal issues and lack of interest in... like, weddings and life-long "mating."
I enjoyed Galen's chapters in this book. The plot with Tyrden was alright--it was by no means original; but my intrigue was maintained by how/when the stakes were raised and the plot thickened. I really wanted to enjoy this series more than I did. A friend of mine loved them and I trust her taste in books. Unfortunately, it just wasn't meant to be. I hate doing reviews like this, because I know how it feels to have someone hate a book you love... but I just hated this so much. I wouldn't say the book was entirely terrible, but when your chapters average 6 pages long and you put in a 13-page epilogue, just... just make it another chapter. Also, the resolution was seemingly non-existent before the "epilogue" so that's even more reason to just call it chapter 40-whatever.
If you want a book you can just sit and read in a few hours, then go for it, but I'd recommend having something incredible to read afterward so you're not feeling gummy about the publishing industry....more
I saved this book for last after reading all of John Green's novels, going from Looking For Alaska, to An Abundance of Katherines, and then Paper TownI saved this book for last after reading all of John Green's novels, going from Looking For Alaska, to An Abundance of Katherines, and then Paper Towns. This was so I could really see John's style and so I could better understand the hype behind TFiOS. Unfortunately, after reading three books with the same stock characters, TFiOS only changed the setting and the situations. I don't know what I was expecting--maybe more depth to the characters, or something different than a manic pixie dream girl revealing the philosophies of life, existence, and the universe--but it wasn't at all what I expected. I know John Green uses a formula, so my understanding and deconstruction of it may have been part of the reason I didn't enjoy the book as much as most others.
The first half of the book was nothing special. Quite frankly, I found myself getting bored through it. The characters were hard for me to care about or be interested in, save for Isaac, who receives next to no development to his character.
When it came to the great philosophical prose I've come to see repeatedly in John's work, I was disappointed with what was displayed in TFiOS; it was merely a re-wording of points already outlined in his earlier works, particularly Looking For Alaska. If anything, Augustus Waters and Alaska Young have the same mind and worldview, though different hobbies and interests. He was the manic pixie dream boy of this story, in my opinion.
I understand why some will have their cords struck with this story. With the main characters and their cancer, it automatically will have already pull at heartstrings and scream, "TRAGEDY TRAGEDY TRAGEDY!" to the readers. As much as I tried to get away from the focus on cancer, this IS a "cancer book", regardless of how much John may or may not have tried not to make it one.
It was better during the second half of the book, and I will admit that John's one-liners are pretty amazing, but a few laughs and well-written musing lines will not make a good book great. I enjoyed reading it, but it isn't one I'd fall in love with or re-re-re-re-read as so many of my friends have. I don't feel like this is John's best work (Looking For Alaska or Paper Towns are the ones I prefer), but I understand the feeling put out by and out into this work.
I'll admit, it couldn't strike hard with me like Looking For Alaska did. I had a brother who was hit by a car and killed, not diagnosed with cancer. I've never had someone close to me suffer from cancer. It may also be that I am one who views cancer as another fact of life, like crying, and murder, and all the other horrible things in the world that people strive to remove. I am not the target audience for this book. Some books affect people more than others. I am not a soft-hearted and sympathising teenager who cries when a loved one dies from cancer. I cried during Looking For Alaska because the book spoke to me; this one didn't, and that is just because of the circumstances I have/haven't endured....more
A hesitant 3.5 stars, and hesitantly shelved on "diverse"
I'm a big Westerfeld fan, so this was a book I would inevitably finish and enjoy to some exteA hesitant 3.5 stars, and hesitantly shelved on "diverse"
I'm a big Westerfeld fan, so this was a book I would inevitably finish and enjoy to some extent. His writing is so easy for me to read. At first, I was intimidated by the page count, but I knew I'd get through because of the writing style.
First and foremost: this is two novels packaged as one and they have zero crossover, aside from Darcy being the writer of the other story. I wondered how this combined narratives would pan out, and I honestly think it wasn't necessary. If anything, they feel like 2 incomplete stories. I enjoyed both, but would have preferred to read two separate novels.
Basically, we have a contemporary LGBT story, and we have a paranormal romance. They were both okay. I wasn't blown away by either story, but I do have a strong appreciation for the romantic relationship in Darcy's. It was very deep, and acted as a great foil to the superficial romantic relationship in Lizzie's story.
My biggest issue was with Darcy. A small kudos to Westerfeld for having a POC protagonist... but she lacked authenticity. I don't mean she should've been using Hindi phrases or followed her culture. But considering she is the daughter of two Indian immigrants, I expected a bit more of that reality and identity coming through, which might have been improved with more characterisation of Annika and her husband (whose name I can't remember; I finished the book a few hours ago and can't remember the protag's father's name!!).
The "American assimilation" message was incredibly present: Darcy essentially rejected all notions of her culture, including the food, and her parents did the same, though maintaining the food. She landed a book deal before she could legally drink (also, I'm so over underage drinking; it's not cool), managed to find a rent an apartment in New York City, and got a 2-book, 6-figure deal. To me, that's the American Dream, and it seems like Darcy could only achieve it by adopting a more American life and writing an American story. If it weren't for her last name of "Patel," Darcy could have been anyone, though I would have assumed she were white due to the amount of luck (and therefore privilege) she displayed. I'm not going to offer suggestions on what he could have done better, because as a fourth-generation Canadian, that's not my place.
The issue of race in publishing was mentioned once, quite early on, and I wish it had been more predominant. I also wish I had known more about the people publishing Darcy: Moxie, Rhea, Paradox house. The scene where Westerfeld wrote the characters talking about the whiteness of publishing and the problems with cultural appropriation by white authors... It seemed like a sticker put in there to say, "See? I addressed the issue." It was very slapdash and I almost forgot about it.
It's hard to think a book is good, let alone great, when you look at the Indian protagonist in a lesbian relationship and think, "She's not real enough." This isn't to say I have a problem with Indian protagonists, or lesbian protagonists, or Indian lesbians. I'm saying that Darcy wasn't written well enough to convince me of her identity as even Indian. I think at some point it seemed like she was all, "Oh I don't know who I like and I don't think I'm a very sexual person" but I mean. I don't know anyone who is asexual or lesbian or queer who hasn't started questioning their orientation (or even researching it. Darcy is a writer, for goodness' sake; if she could stumble across a news story of a murdered 11-year-old in India in the 70s, then she could find something about LGBT identity). I wish Westerfeld had tried a little harder, or perhaps let this story be told by a queer Indian author.
Also, I really didn't care for Nisha.
The more I think about this, the more I wonder Why did Westerfeld write two novels together? My only conclusion is that... Well, neither of the stories would have been able to stand on their own. I don't particularly think they work well together, though I did love the interior design, but that might have been the best option.
It was refreshing to read a romantic relationship treated with such maturity. I love Imogen's character in the book and for my own personal reasons/relatability to her. I think Westerfeld managed to pull off the two-narratives-in-one-book structure just because he has, like, 4 series under his belt and a large readership; and not because it was a good way to structure these stories. It's worth a read, though--and I'm going to keep calling them "valkyries" instead of the silly title Lizzie picks at the end. (You could have at least made it similar to Mindy's "livers" in form! Come on!)...more
3.5 Good. Incredibly different from A COURT OF THORNS AND ROSES--which could have been a standalone novel.
I'm personally incredibly irked by sequels/se3.5 Good. Incredibly different from A COURT OF THORNS AND ROSES--which could have been a standalone novel.
I'm personally incredibly irked by sequels/series where one book is basically a lead up to another book; the key plot conflict in this one fell super flat for me. Also, the ending was not... received well. I don't like endings like this, where convenient coincidence gives characters access to what they want. Some of the writing (style-wise) was too poetic for my tastes, but very very good. It took me a while to really get into the story, and I think part of the reason for that was because this is so different from ACOTAR and there was a huge period of transition needed to go from that to this. Rectified by a lot of information that I... frankly, forget now. I also don't believe in soul mates so I'm not on board with that entire concept in the series.
Anyway, good points: the sex scenes were A+, the characters were good, the tension was good (that Rhysand/Feyre tension particularly), and this book is just /good/ at being a fantasy with high stakes and a tangled plot--and in 1st person POV to boot. That's a difficult combination to achieve and Maas went and did it.
I heart Rhysand, ever since Under the Mountain. I know how it feels to be trapped by someone you love and be wary of someone breaking you out....more
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