Mike > Recent Status Updates

I'm really enjoying this section of the book. I like how Veen is exploring the need some teenagers (like me!) have to escape their parents and get into the 'real world'. She's doing a great job of showing that realistically, and I'm starting to relate to it on a personal level. Which is always nice.

Gaiman seems to be going for a style of whimsy and horror kind of like Lemony Snicket, only he's not creative enough to pull it off, so it's coming across as a little embarrassing. He should focus on what he's good at: portraying how boring and lonely it can be to be a kid whose parents don't care about you. Because he's GREAT at that.

More Kiesha'Ra parallels. They keep referencing Keirash, which is only a letter away from anagramming Kiesha'ra.

"We stood in silence for
five seconds like two retards."

Wonderful. Just wonderful. Why do people continue to use this word? Do they really not understand how offensive it is? It's a real shame, because after how Veen handled Joshua's Tourette's Syndrome, I honestly thought she had a real handle on how you should write about mental illness. But, I guess I was wrong...

This dialogue is so clinical. I mean, we get EXACTLY what is needed to carry along the story. There's no character personality conveyed, there are no layers, there are no human thoughts and observations... less isn't more when you cut out necessary elements of a story to accomplish the less. When you cut out characterization and realism from a story for the sake of brevity, ultimately, less is less.

I'm running out of things to say in these updates. I need to read faster so that's not a problem.

I'm not enjoying this quite as much as I was in the beginning. Ruby's relationship with Joshua is very insta-lovey, and there doesn't seem to be a whole lot of direction to the plot. And the quality of the writing is starting to decline.

Oh, god, this is so sad! Lauren's having trouble picking a good horse for her dad to buy so that she can have a perfect experience in a fancy horse-riding boarding school! I feel so sorry for her! I mean, how do real people going through something like this hang on?

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8zUjS...

Almost done! This is probably the first time I've been relieved to finish an Andrea K. Höst book.

Lauren is getting a new horse. Because her life wasn't already perfect enough, I guess. God damn it. You know what? HEY, EVERYBODY! I'M HOLDING A BONFIRE TONIGHT! ALL YOU NEED IS A COPY OF THIS BOOK! We're going to have so much fun...

I've completely lost track of what's going on. Oh, well.

If I had one central complaint, it would be that I feel at an arm's length from the story. There's too much narrative summary in the middle of scenes; it feels intrusive. It's a shame, because other than that, this is exceptionally good, especially for a self-published book.

Cliches, cliches, and, oh look, more cliches.

"I pictured her with a school rucksack, I was helping her overcome her first romantic disappointments, I was gently running my fingers through her hair... The image of her became vivid and tangible in my mind –painfully tangible."

That's a line of dialogue, if you can believe it. Quite a bit of the dialogue feels like narration in this book, unfortunately. That particular instance ruined a very good scene.

Warning: Reading this book may cause excessive facepalming, inability to believe eyes, and lack of faith in the value of literature. Do not read unless absolutely necessary.

This is getting a lot better. I feel like we're finally getting to the 'point' of the book.

I'm kind of enjoying this. The writing isn't great, but it isn't terrible, either. And I really like Ruby as a character.

Oh, my god, you guys! That was the greatest twist ever! The main character of Canterwood Crest got into Canterwood Crest! I never saw it coming!

Okay, seriously, that was the worst twist ever. Also, Burkhart, could you stop pretending that middle school consists of popular people and unpopular people, and that girls do whatever they can to be the former rather than the latter? That's just not... true.

They keep referring to Medair as Kel. Who is a character from Kiesha'Ra. I guess it's not really Höst's fault - Kiesha'Ra isn't exactly a well-known series - but it's still confusing.

If Joss Whedon is chosen to direct the TV adaptation of Gone, my life will be complete. No longer would I have to go on living, for nothing I see could possibly be as awesome as that would be.

I'm not even sure I can articulate how bad this is. The characters are such stereotypes, and they have more informed traits than... something else that has a lot of informed traits.

Oh my fucking god. Did Burkhart really just write about people shunning Lauren because she applied to an 'enemy' school? Did she really just ask us to BELIEVE that? Holy Jesus Whale, this book might just be the least realistic thing I've ever read. WHO THOUGHT THIS WA A GOOD IDEA?

I like Medair as a character. I'll at least say that.

Oh my god. This is so badly written. I don't know if it's Bujor's fault, or if it's because of her translator, but either way, somebody screwed up big time. Also, the characters and situations are incredibly cliched. Exactly what you'd expect from a fifteen year-old.

You know, I don't think many twelve year-olds go on dates with their boyfriends without their parents and kiss. I remember I had a girlfriend when I was twelve - we never kissed, we never saw each other outside of school, we never even told her parents. This really just isn't very realistic.

Also, there is no conflict to this book. None. Whatsoever.

I'm kind of bored at this point. I'm trying not to skim, but it's becoming difficult. I can't tell if it's because the story is dull and slow-paced, if it's because I'm not interested in this kind of thing, or if it's some combanation of the two.

Ugh. This is really rushed and amateurish. Also, the translation is terrible.

Why is Burkhart trying to make it appear as if there's a chance that the protagonist of Canterwood Crest won't be able to attend, y'know, Canterwood Crest? That's just not a good way to make conflict.

I'm also sick of Burkhart trying to pretend Laruen doesn't have the best life anyone could possibly ask for. She's a blatant wish-fulfillment character, but Burkhart seems to want us to think otherwise.

*sighs* This just isn't interesting to me. I'm starting to think fantasy without urban elements just isn't my thing.

It's kind of hard to feel sorry for Lauren, because she has such a ridiculously perfect life. It's made even more annoying by the fact that Burkhart tries to pretend she has problems, when it's clear that most people would kill for her life.